The Super Bowl is where a relative nobody can become a household name, where names like Malcolm Butler and David Tyree transform from obscurity to an association with football’s biggest stage, forever. 

The stars will attract the attention and have the most impact on Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The X-factors, however – the ones the majority of the 100-plus-million viewers do not know – will also play pivotal roles in determining who lifts the Lombardi Trophy. 

For NFL fans, especially supporters of the Chiefs and Eagles who follow their teams closely, these players are not unheard of. They have been there every week, making winning plays for winning teams. 

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

They are not Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts or the Kelce Bros. They are the Super Bowl X-factors. 

Javon Hargrave, Eagles DT 

By now, people are aware of the Eagles’ vaunted pass rush. The postseason has continued the breakout party for Haason Reddick, who is gaining well-deserved attention as one of the most consistent rushers in the league. Josh Sweat racked up 11 sacks during the regular season and veterans Fletcher Cox (11 sacks) and Brandon Graham add depth to the attack. 

Mahomes will have to step up in the pocket to give his offensive line help and allow for downfield plays to develop. An interior rush by the Eagles will go a long way in making that difficult, too. That is where Javon Hargrave comes in. 

Hargrave, who turned 30 this week, plays on the interior of the defensive line, but recorded a career-high 11 sacks in 2022. He notched 16 quarterback hits.

Hargrave and his fellow defensive tackles will be matched up against the strength of the Chiefs’ offensive line, the interior, highlighted by center Creed Humphrey and left guard Joe Thuney. Keeping Mahomes honest in the middle of the pass rush will be key.

Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles RB  

Philadelphia’s ground game has been the hallmark of the offense, especially since Jalen Hurts’ shoulder injury in December. Most of the work rushing the ball to that point was done by Hurts and running back Miles Sanders. 

From Weeks 13-18, Gainwell had 15 carries total despite seeing more targets in the passing game. Head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen called upon Gainwell more often in the playoffs. Against the New York Giants in the divisional round, the 2021 fifth-round draft pick rushed for a career-high 112 yards and a touchdown. He carried 14 times in the NFC championship game. It helped that both contests were blowouts, but Gainwell was running with purpose.

Sanders could very well receive the lion’s share of carries. Gainwell, though, looks like a player improving with each game. 

Andrew Wylie, Chiefs RT 

Wylie’s primary objective against the Eagles? Stop Reddick. Simple enough, right? 

Chiefs coach Andy Reid will be sure to give Wylie help in the protection schemes – whether it’s with an explicit double-team or other creative ways to get the ball out quickly. 

Mahomes’ ankle injury will make the play of Wylie and left tackle Orlando Brown stand out that much more.  

Nick Bolton, Chiefs LB

The Chiefs went ‘local’ with their second-round pick in the 2021 draft, selecting Bolton out of Missouri. In his second season in the league, Bolton became the Chiefs’ most prolific tackler (180 total) with nine tackles for loss. He also added a pair of interceptions and seven quarterback hits. 

Against the Eagles, Bolton will have to be all over the field to contain the Philadelphia rushing attack. Making life on the ground difficult will force the Eagles to rely more on the passing game and become more one-dimensional. 

The Eagles’ offensive line is the best in the league, so Bolton will need help up front. It will be up to him to clean up the play, fill the gaps and prevent the Eagles from becoming too comfortable running the ball.

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

The Los Angeles Angles are in a precarious position with two-way star player Shohei Ohtani, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2023 season.

Widely considered one of the best players in all of baseball, Ohtani is expected to fetch a record-setting contract that could be in the range of half a billion dollars. The Angels, as a result, face an uphill battle to retain Ohtani.

After originally putting the team up for sale, Angels owner Arte Moreno changed his mind in January and took the team off the market. While the Angels considered trade offers for Ohtani in order to recoup assets for a player who might eventually walk, the Angels opted to keep him. Now, one of Moreno’s primary objectives is to keep the star player.

‘I’d like to keep Ohtani,’ Moreno told The New York Post in an interview Wednesday at the MLB owners meetings. ‘He’s one of a kind, He’s a great person. He’s obviously one of the most popular baseball players in the world, and he’s an international star. He’s a great teammate. He works hard. He’s a funny guy, and he has a really good rapport with fans.’

Here’s everything you need to know about Ohtani’s relationship with the Angels:

Who is Shoehei Ohtani?

Born in Oshu, Japan, Ohtani, 28, excels as both a designated hitter and starting pitcher. Last season, he posted career highs in at-bats (586) and hits (160), and also smacked 34 home runs on a .273 batting average, driving in 95 runs. As a starting pitcher, Ohtani drew a 15-9 record and 2.33 earned run average with 219 strike outs in 28 starts.

He finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player race behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and also finished fourth in Cy Young voting. After the 2021 season, Ohtani won the AL MVP award unanimously, becoming the first two-way player in history to do so.

He is a global sports icon and has signed multiple lucrative endorsements both domestically and in Japan. In October, he and the Angels agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract extension through the 2023 season.

What else did Arte Moreno say about Shohei Ohtani?

Moreno acknowledged that the franchise needs to perform better in order to have a chance to make a compelling offer to Ohtani.

‘We have to win,’ he told the Post. ‘We have to do a better job on the field.’

The Angels finished third in the AL West in 2022 with a 73-89 record. The team fired veteran manager Joe Maddon in June after a losing streak reached 12 games. The Angels have missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons.

‘He fits in well with what we do,” Moreno said of Ohtani. ‘We’re in the entertainment business. We want fans to be able to come to the ballpark and have a great experience.

‘I’d like to say we have as good a chance as anybody.’

In a rare, small and likely temporary setback to its position of financial power in college sports, the Southeastern Conference had a nearly 4% decline in revenue during its 2022 fiscal year, the conference’s new federal tax records show.

The document – provided by the conference on Thursday in response to a request from USA TODAY Sports – shows the SEC with total revenue of just over $802 million for a year ending Aug. 31, 2022.

It reported $833.4 million in revenue for its 2021 fiscal year.

Even with the decline – its first in at least 10 years – the SEC is likely to be far ahead of every Power Five conference except the Big Ten in total revenue for 2022. But the decline meant that distributions to its 14 member schools averaged about $49.9 million per school, a decrease of about $4.7 million per school compared to the distributions the conference reported for its 2021 fiscal year.

In fiscal 2021, the SEC also provided each of its schools with a $23.3 million advance on future conference distributions.

Why did SEC’s revenue decline?

Most of the decline in the SEC’s 2022 revenue and distributions can be attributed to each school having received a $4 million share of a signing bonus that the conference got when it signed a new football TV deal with ESPN in December 2020, which put that money into the fiscal 2021 cycle.

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The TV deal is set to begin in fall 2024, and will bring with it a major revenue increase that likely will go even higher when Oklahoma and Texas join the conference, a move currently scheduled to occur in 2025.

‘The Conference’s total revenue has varied as we manage through pandemic realities, transition of our media agreements and prepare for membership expansion,’ commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. ‘We are confident the Conference’s revenues will stabilize and increase significantly as we move forward to a new media agreement and growth to a 16-member conference.”

The SEC is the first of the Power Five conferences to release its tax records for fiscal 2022. Another factor in the decline in average per-school distributions, according to conference spokesman Herb Vincent, was the release in fiscal 2021 of $9 million that the conference had been holding in escrow from Mississippi because its football team had been banned from postseason play for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

In fiscal 2022, the conference also reported having increased costs for staging postseason events and $7.75 million in interest on the $350 million loan it took to fund the 2021 advance on future distributions.

So far, the conference has paid a total of nearly $11 million in interest on the loan. Repayment will occur after the TV revenue increase from the deal with ESPN begins, and ‘a portion of that revenue will be used to repay the loan prior to the schools receiving their annual distribution,’ Vincent said in an email.

Commissioner Greg Sankey’s pay goes way up

The new return also showed that Sankey was credited with just over $3.7 million in total compensation for the 2021 calendar year, nearly all in base salary. That represents a roughly $735,000 increase in Sankey’s pay (25%) compared to what was reported for him for 2020.

It’s the first time Sankey has surpassed $3 million in annual compensation, and the total brings him into line with the pay of other Power Five commissioners, who generally have been far ahead of Sankey since he moved into the SEC’s top job in June 2015 after working in other roles with the conference since 2002. 

Durant, one of the NBA’s best players, will join the Suns after four seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. The move surely will shake the balance in the NBA’s Western Conference.

While Durant won’t make his Suns debut until later this month due to a knee injury, news of his acquisition made waves as the NFL’s Super Bowl is in the Phoenix area this week before Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here’s what we know on Durant, the Suns, the Nets and how this trade overshadowed the NFL during Super Bowl week in Phoenix:

Kevin Durant trade between Suns and Nets

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

Around 1 a.m. Thursday, the Suns and Nets struck a deal for Phoenix to acquire Durant and small forward T.J. Warren in exchange for three players and four future first-round picks, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the deal is official.

The trade will pair Durant – a 13-time All-Star who won two NBA Finals MVPs with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 – with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton in Phoenix.

The Suns, who lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals in 2021, immediately become a legitimate contender once again for the Finals with Durant in the picture.

The Nets, who traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks one day earlier, received Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, and a pick swap in 2028 from the Suns for Durant.

How the Suns became front page news during Super Bowl week

Mat Ishbia hasn’t even been the Suns owner for a week.

Yet, Ishbia stacked all the Suns’ chips at the table and went all in with the Durant trade in his third day with the franchise.

Talk about making a splash.

Ishbia is a billionaire who owns United Wholesale Mortgage, and was a former walk-on basketball player under Tom Izzo at Michigan State from 1999-2002. He was just approved Monday by the NBA’s board of governors to acquire the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.

According to ESPN, Ishbia directed general manager James Jones to initiate conversations with Nets general manager Sean Marks late Wednesday night. Shortly after, Ishbia and Nets owner Joe Tsai discussed the Durant trade.

The Super Bowl will have its day on Sunday, but Ishbia made sure his new team would shake up the sports world before the game.

Stephen A. Smith on Nets after Durant, Irving trades: ‘Disastrous’

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, during a visit with USA TODAY at radio row in Phoenix, did not hold back on his criticism of the Nets following their trades of Durant and Irving.

“It was a disastrous era,” Smith said. “It’s a stain and embarrassment on the career of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.”

TRACKER:  Live updates of all the deadline deals

Smith also added some perspective of the Durant news coming during Super Bowl week in Phoenix.

“The NBA more than any other sport, has globalized its brand exceptionally well. But the trading deadline is [Thursday], so there’s a lot going on,” he said.

“When Kevin Durant gets traded to Phoenix and that automatically puts Phoenix as favorites in the Western Conference, you can’t ignore that. It’s a big story. He’s a superstar. Despite the fact that its Super Bowl week, it’s not the Super Bowl,” Smith added.

“If this happened Sunday, no one would be paying attention. But the game is Sunday and it’s Thursday, so everybody is talking about basketball.”

How will we remember Kevin Durant’s run with the Brooklyn Nets?

Durant and Irving joined the Nets in July 2019, followed by James Harden in early 2021. But the three players were unable to deliver on championship aspirations the Nets had in acquiring all three of them.

Together, they played 16 games, marking one of the most massive failures in NBA history.

The furthest the Nets reached in the playoffs during their run was the second round, when Durant’s infamous game-tying shot sent their Game 7 with the Bucks to overtime.

Durant’s foot was on the three-point line, sending the game to overtime, which they eventually lost 115-111. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks went on to beat the Suns in the 2020 NBA Finals.

After winning two championships with Steph Curry and the Warriors, Durant failed to win another with Irving and Harden in Brooklyn.

What’s next for Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns?

It’s time to win an NBA championship, which will be no easy task despite the Suns’ talent.

Durant, 34, has three more years left on his contract after this season – $46.4 million in 2023-24, $49.8 million in 2024-25 and $53.2 million in 2025-26. And if there’s any time for him to add another title to his résumé, it’s now.

Booker, 26, is a three-time All-Star. Ayton, 24, is a former No. 1 pick. Both young stars are entering their NBA primes. Suns coach Monty Williams, who won Coach of the Year last season, helped Phoenix reach the Finals. But Paul, who has the third-most assists in NBA history, is on the decline in his 18th season.

The Suns are fifth in the West, 8½ games behind the top-seeded Denver Nuggets. And they must navigate a loaded conference with the Memphis Grizzles, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers all among the top six seeds.

The defending champion Warriors, with Curry out with a knee injury, are ninth, just outside the playoff picture.

Follow Safid Deen on Twitter @safid_deen

The NHL trade season is getting interesting, especially if you live in New York.

The New York Islanders and New York Rangers have pulled off the biggest trades in what, up to then, had been a boring trade season.

First, the Vancouver Canucks did their initial piece of ‘major surgery’ on the disappointing team’s roster by trading captain Bo Horvat, an All-Star, to the Islanders on Jan. 30.

The New York Rangers made their move on Feb. 9 by acquiring winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues. 

Here is analysis on the bigger deals or other moves that have taken place leading up to the March 3 NHL trade deadline. There will be a live blog on deadline day. 

Follow every game: Latest NHL Scores and Schedules

When is the NHL trade deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on March 3.

Who are some of the bigger names who could be moved before the deadline?

Chicago’s Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Max Domi. San Jose’s Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier. St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly. Vancouver’s Brock Boeser and Luke Schenn. Anaheim’s John Klingberg. Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun, Shayne Gostisbehere and Nick Bjugstad. Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov. Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk. Montreal’s Joel Edmundson and Sean Monahan. Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi.

What trades, transactions or other news occurred before the March 3 deadline?

Feb. 9: The New York Rangers acquire forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues for a conditional 2023 first-round draft pick, a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick, forward Sammy Blais and defenseman Hunter Skinner. Tarasenko, an All-Star this season even with reduced numbers as he missed time with an injury, boosts the Rangers’ top six and they didn’t have to give up one of their top youngsters to get him. He’s a six-time 30-goal scorer who puts up good playoff numbers. The Rangers also hold the Dallas Stars’ first-round pick and they’ll give up the lower pick, helping them in this year’s deep draft. Mikkola is a 6-4 shutdown defenseman who kills penalties and is an upgrade on defenseman Libor Hajek, who was placed on waivers. Blais used to play for the Blues and put up better numbers there. He had no goals with New York. Both he, Mikkola and Tarasenko are pending unrestricted free agents. The Blues will retain 50% of Tarasenko’s salary.

Feb. 6: Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane addresses his future. The pending unrestricted free agent has a no-movement clause and told reporters he’s ‘not really at that point’ about deciding whether to waive it. He did say agent Pat Brisson has told him ‘a few’ teams have reached out. “We’re probably taking it up to the deadline before making a decision,’ he said. Meanwhile, captain Jonathan Toews has missed the past two practices because of a non-COVID illness, coach Luke Richardson said. Toews also has a no-movement clause.

Feb. 5: The Seattle Kraken acquire defenseman Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. He 6-6, 220, adding size to a defense that also has 6-7, 255 Jamie Oleksiak. He averages 19 minutes a game and was a plus player on a Sharks team that was full of minuses. He’s signed through 2024. The Kraken have until June 15 to decide whether the pick they give up is theirs or the one that belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.

Feb. 5: New York Islanders sign Bo Horvat for eight years.  Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, as usual, didn’t reveal terms, joking, ‘All I can tell you it’s too long and too much money.’ But Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the cap hit is $8.5 million, which puts Horvat second on the team behind Mathew Barzal ($9.15 million). Knowing that Horvat is more than a rental makes this deal even better. He and Barzal, the Islanders’ most skilled offensive players, are signed through 2030-31. ​​​​​​

Feb. 4: The Washington Capitals announce a three-year, $5.7 million extension for forward Sonny Milano. That’s two signings in two days for the Capitals. Milano (Ducks), like Dylan Strome (Blackhawks) the day before, came to the Capitals as free agents after their previous team didn’t qualify them. Milano didn’t join the Capitals until Nov. 5 and has 22 points in 40 games.

Feb. 3: The Washington Capitals announce a five-year, $25 million extension for center Dylan Strome. The pending restricted free agent wasn’t going to be moved, but the Capitals did well to lock him up long-term. He was an important offseason acquisition, helping the team get through the early absence of Nicklas Backstrom, plus ranking third on the team in points and power play points.

Feb. 1: The Columbus Blue Jackets announce forward Gustav Nyquist (shoulder) is likely out for the season. He is on an expiring contract and the Blue Jackets could have received something in return for him had he been healthy. 

Jan. 30: The New York Islanders acquire forward Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks for forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty and a protected 2023 first-round draft pick. This deal solves two problems. The Canucks couldn’t offer Horvat enough to account for his All-Star season, and the Islanders are having trouble scoring. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said it was incumbent upon him to try to fix that, and he made a very good start. Horvat has 31 goals this season – matching his career best from last season – and 54 points in 49 games. He had four assists in his final game with the Canucks, and is the Islanders’ new leader in goals, points and power play goals and points. That could make the difference on a team that has had to rely too much on its stellar goaltending. The deal will be even better if the Islanders can re-sign Horvat. The Canucks wanted back players who could step into the lineup. Beauvillier has had a 20-goal season but just nine this season. Raty, the Islanders’ top prospect, could benefit from a change of scenery. The draft pick would move to 2024 if it lands in the top 12. Vancouver will retain 25 percent of Horvat’s salary.

Jan. 25: The Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Matt Nieto and defenseman Ryan Merkley from the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Jacob MacDonald and forward Martin Kaut. The banged-up Avalanche need depth players, and Nieto played for them previously. Merkley, a former first-round pick, never found a place with San Jose. Sharks general manager Mike Grier ends up getting some assets for Nieto, a pending unrestricted free agent. His better test will be the return if he deals Karlsson or Meier.

Dec. 19: The Florida Panthers acquire forward Givani Smith from the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Detroit then trades Del Zotto to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Danny O’Regan. Smith didn’t pan out a fourth-line grinder with the Red Wings. He fills that role in Florida.

Nov. 23: The Minnesota Wild acquire forward Ryan Reaves from the New York Rangers for a fifth-round 2025 pick. The Rangers made this move early in the season to give them more cap space to make a bigger move at the deadline. The Wild were interested in Reaves’ toughness.

Nov. 23: The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Curtis Douglas. The Maple Leafs were missing three defensemen at the time, and Timmins adds to their defensive depth.

Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce are bound by more than a mother who brought them homemade cookies Monday on the opening night of Super Bowl week.

There’s also talk of aliens and livestock.

Rule-breaking and storytelling.

Fiery oratory and football.

And, of course, impending history Sunday in Super Bowl 57.

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

Jason, the starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Travis, the starting tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, are set to become the first brothers to play on opposing teams in Super Bowl.

“This is bragging rights for Thanksgiving,’’ said Donna Kelce, their mother. “This is for all the marbles.’’

Sometimes, the marbles look a little loose when Jason and Travis Kelce get together.

The freewheeling podcast

The week before the 2022 season started, the Kelce brothers launched a podcast called “New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce,’’ a nod to their hometown of Cleveland Heights in Ohio.

Less than eight minutes into the first episode, Jason explained how he bought 11 cows in the offseason and provided details about his involvement in the calves’ branding and castration..

“I was like, ‘Oh, God, we’re going downhill from here,’ ” said Aaron Eanes, who is the president of A&A Management Group and has worked with the brothers on the project.

No need to worry. “New Heights’’ has ranked among the top sports podcasts in the country while the brothers have tapped into their football relationships.

Their featured guests have included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. And on a recent episode, the Kelces found time to discuss not only football, but also aliens.

Travis: “They’re definitely here.’’

Jason: “They’re here?’’

Travis: “They’re here, for sure. I think they’re either underwater or on Antarctica.’’

Jason: “Why would they be on Antarctica?’’

Travis: “Because nobody’s there.’’

What separates the brothers

Two years aren’t the only thing that separate Jason, 35, and Travis, 33.

Since making it to the NFL, Travis sports eye-catching clothes that include an $18,600 monogrammed Louis Vuitton coat, a yellow zebra-print Celine coat and multicolored dancer faux coat designed by KidSuper.

Jason prefers T-shirts and sweatshirts. He has a lumberjack-bushy beard. Travis keeps his beard fashionably trimmed.

Travis sometimes drips with gaudy jewelry. Jason only drips with sweat.

“I think they’re very similar in a lot of ways,’’ Donna Kelce said. “But Jason’s very pensive and he cares about what people think of him out in the public. So he’ll maybe dial it back a couple of notches, but give him a few beers or put him in front of a crowd in a Mummers outfit and they’re pretty much the same.’’

Donna Kelce was referring to Jason’s epic speech during a team celebration in front of thousands of fans the week after the Eagles won Super Bowl 52. Travis had his own memorable ‘’jabroni’’ rant after the Chiefs beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game Jan. 29.

Meet the parents

By now you probably know about Donna, who wears a custom split jersey, half Eagles and half Chiefs. Less visible has been Ed Kelce, although he got equal billing on the brothers’ 26th podcast episode, which published Monday.

The parents, who divorced about a decade ago, both said they believe in the existence of aliens. Ed, who worked in the steel business, matched his sons’ f-bomb for f-bomb on another podcast filled with laughter.

“What you see on the podcast is what we lived through,’’ Ed Kelce said. “Cohorts in any kind of trouble they could get into.’’

During Monday’s opening night of Super Bowl week, Jason described growing up with Travis as “chaos.’’ 

“But enjoyable chaos,’’ he told reporters. ‘Yeah, I think it was a lot of fun, a lot of broken windows, a lot of shattered things around the house that my parents had to deal with. But man, it was one thing after the other.’

Travis addressed the fights the brothers had with each other growing up.

“Jason won all the fights but one, and that was the last fight,” Travis told reporters on Opening Night. ‘ … I’d be silly to say that I won. But I definitely gave it my all and he stopped fighting me after that.’’ 

Big brother to the rescue

In high school, Travis did not spring out of bed.

“It was you had to set a bomb off in Travis’ room to get his attention,’’ Ed Kelce said.

The job of ensuring Travis made it to school on time, especially when football players had to report by 5:45 a.m. for two-a-days, belonged to Jason.

“Jason would be dragging Travis in here,’’ said Mike Jones, who coached the brothers in high school. “I just always remember Jason making sure Travis was where he was supposed to be and doing what he was supposed to be doing.’’

That became more challenging in college after the brothers joined the football team at Cincinnati.

‘Don’t give up on him, Coach’

Both Kelce brothers got college scholarships to play at Cincinnati. After his second season, Travis had tested positive twice for marijuana, was suspended for a year and lost his scholarship.

He moved into the same room with Jason in hopes his older brother could help him stay out of trouble.

Butch Jones, who took over as the program’s head coach, allowed Travis to practice that year with the scout team. Travis was reinstated before his junior year and suspended again after that season.

“I called Jason and told him that (Travis) was done and that he wasn’t living up to the expectations, he was underachieving,’’ Jones said. “And I still remember to this day, Jason’s like, ‘Coach, you can’t give up on him. Do not give up on him, Coach.

“So Jason and I kind of worked together.’’

That next semester, Jones said, Travis Kelce joked it was the first time in his life he’d posted a 3.0 grade point average. Reinstated to the team, he had a breakout senior year with 45 catches for 722 yards and eight touchdowns.

Jason Kelce, then playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, vouched for his younger brother when the Chiefs selected Travis in the third round of the 2013 draft.

“Everybody talks about brotherly love and all that,’’ Jones said. “I have never been a part of a closeness and a bond like two brothers have like them.’’

PHOENIX – LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record as the all-time leading scorer this week. Alexander Ovechkin is inching closer to Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. But will anyone ever come close to Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl rings? 

‘No,’ Deion Sanders said matter-of-factly. 

‘The reason it won’t happen for quite some time is that … we are at a financial state that I don’t believe that a guy is going to be as humble as Tom Brady and work with his team and take less (money).’

Sanders said the current culture in sports ‘isn’t built like that.’ 

‘This culture wants every darn dime they can get,’ Sanders told USA TODAY Sports at Super Bowl 57 Radio Row at the Phoenix Convention Center. ‘You have to sacrifice some things to get to be in that position and I don’t think this culture is ready to make those sacrifices.’

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

The Pro Football hall of Famer signed a five-year contract that pays $5.5 million annually to become the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes following three seasons at Jackson State in December.

‘It’s a blessing that they wanted me and all its attributes, so that’s what they’re getting, and then some,’ Sanders said. ‘They haven’t tried to keep me in a box or limit me in any form or fashion. They love everything that comes with Coach Prime.’ 

DEION SANDERS: Drastically overhauls Colorado’s football roster in just eight weeks 

NIKE? Why Deion Sanders said he’d never work with Nike again… but he is now, sort of 

Sanders said things are ‘going great’ at Colorado, so much so that he ‘would rather be there than here’ at Super Bowl 57. The Buffaloes finished the season 1-11 last year, but Coach Prime isn’t worried about being competitive. 

‘We don’t think about competing, baby, we think about winning and dominating,’ he said. ‘What does that word mean? Competing? I never heard that word before.’

Maybe it’s the huge first recruiting class he’s brought in with him that instills that confidence. Sanders has attracted a class of at least 42 newcomers in his first months on the job, including 23 transfers from other four-year colleges. 

Sanders said he doesn’t ‘sell’ recruits. 

‘We just have a real conversation. I really want to raise men, not boys, and I really want these parents to understand that when you send me a boy, I’m going to return them a man,’ he said. ‘And he’s going to be a professional, not just football. He’s going to do something with his life. He’s going to make an impact.’

Boston Celtics standout Jaylen Brown suffered a facial fracture Wednesday night, the team announced Thursday in its injury report.   

Brown was injured when he was inadvertently struck in the face by the elbow of teammate Jayson Tatum during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown and Tatum were going for an offensive rebound in the second quarter when they collided. Brown grabbed his face and was slow to get up before immediately going to the locker room. The Celtics ruled him out for the game with what the team termed a ‘facial contusion.’ 

The Celtics are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Brown was recently named an Eastern Conference reserve for the NBA All-Star Game, the second All-Star nod of his career, but his chances of taking part in the weekend’s festivities later this month seem diminished. He entered Wednesday’s game averaging 27 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He exited the Celtics’ 106-99 win with four points in 18 minutes.  

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