‘Stories with Papa’ podcast brings Ed Kelce and Operation Breakthrough together

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the most-recent member of the Kelce family to get a podcast, Ed Kelce knows it’ll take a lot to catch up to his sons’ New Heights success .

“There’s a lot of interest in what I have to say right now because this is new,” Ed Kelce said. “But I will never generate the excitement and the following that the boys do.”

Right before the 2024 NFL season kicked off, they signed a deal reportedly worth more than $100 million with Amazon’s Wondery podcast network.

Ed’s “Stories with Papa” podcast is instead produced out of Kansas City’s Operation Breakthrough Ignition Lab, where students help set discussion topics, record, produce and promote the weekly episodes.

“It always takes a lot of explanation to somebody that doesn’t know about podcasting,” said Operation Breakthrough student Adbou Njie.

Njie comes up with discussion topics, records and edits audio and video for the podcast between Kelce and guests like former NFL Quarterback Bernie Kosar and former Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil.

“It makes me very proud of myself because when I tell people about what I’m doing, they don’t really know about it,” Njie said.

It wasn’t long ago that Njie didn’t know what went into making a podcast either.

Njie has guidance from Operation Breakthrough staff, but right now, he’s the driving force behind releasing the weekly podcasts. That job gives Njie hands-on media experience he can eventually develop into a full-time career.

“I will do interviews with people and the kids will record the podcasts, and they will be doing the whole thing,” Ed Kelce said, who says he’s happy to capitalize on the attention around his family to give students like Njie professional experience.

“I always loved video producing so I feel like this is a good experience for me,” Njie said.

Much of the conversation centers around health and wellness and Kelce points out that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in most racial and ethnic groups but healthy living can hold it off.

“If they can learn something and take it home that keeps pops or grandpa around for a few extra years, I’ll take that all day,” said Kelce. “I really thought that was a good idea to start getting the discussion out there about how the nutrition that you provide for an NFL football player really has its roots in healthy eating and living.”

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