Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champion, announced his retirement from the National Football League on Monday.

"It took a lot of hard work and determination getting here," he said. "I have been the underdog my entire career, and I mean this when I say it, I wish I still was."

Kelce, 36, played 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Philadelphia Eagles. Born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Kelce played for Cleveland Heights High School and the the University of Cincinnati, where he was a two-time second-team All-Big East selection. Drafted by the Eagles in 2011, Kelce quickly became a fan favorite in Philadelphia, being named first-team All-Pro six times, including the most recent NFL season.

He grew emotional during the press conference announcing his retirement on Monday, including kicking it off with about 15 seconds of laughter and tears before regaining his composure. "Not a great start," he acknowledged.

It would not be the only time Kelce broke down during his press conference, including when he thanked Andy Reid, who was responsible for drafting him to Philadelphia in 2011 before doing the same for his brother, Travis, two years later when he became the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I won't forget the call I got from Andy Reid on draft day and my father rushing into the room with tears streaming down his face because his son's dreams had just been realized," he said, adding: "And I won't forget two years later that same man ... and my brother receiving a call, and him being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. This time the tears streaming down my father and I's face as my brother had just realized his own."

Travis Kelce and their parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, were in attendance for Jason Kelce's announcement. Travis Kelce, who wore sunglasses, was seen wiping tears from his eyes at his brother's announcement.

"This is where it's gonna go off the rails," Jason said before discussing his relationship with his younger brother. "We have a small family. No cousins, one aunt, one uncle. It was really my brother and I our whole lives. We did almost everything together. Competed, fought, laughed, cried and learned from each other. We invented games, imagined ourselves as star players of that time. We'd envison making the winning plays day after day on Coleridge Road. We won countless Super Bowls in our minds before ever leaving our house. And when we weren't playing, we were at the other one's games, butts seated in a lawn chair or bench, a Capri Sun in our hand that mom had packed, cheering during the game and waiting outside afterward to celebrate a victory together or offer encouragement after a defeat."

"There's no chance I'd be here without the bond Travis and I share," he continued. "It made me stronger, tougher, smarter and taught me the values of cooperation, loyalty and patience and understanding."

In a statement, Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said it's "difficult to put into words how much Jason Kelce has meant to everyone in this organization, to the City of Philadelphia, and to our fans."

"He gave everything he had to all of us for 13 years, and he did it in a way that was truly authentic," Lurie continued. "Jason was an incredible football player; a future Hall of Famer who would have been successful anywhere. But has there ever been a more perfect marriage between a player, a city, and a team?" 

Off the field, Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie, who he married in 2018 after meeting on dating app Tinder, have three daughters. Recalling the first night he met his future wife, Kelce grew emotional, saying he remembered the moment she walked through the door: "It was like she glided through the opening, an aura around her, then she started talking, and I thought, 'Man, is this what love feels like?' She was beautiful, smart, serious yet playful, I knew it right away."

"I think it's no coincidence I have enjoyed the best years of my career with Kylie by my side," he continued. "Every accolade I have ever received has come with her in my life. She has brought the best out of me through love, devotion, support, honesty, intelligence and, of course, a swift kick in the a** from time to time."

"She also given me three beautiful girls and a life that increasingly brings me more fulfillment off the field than it does on," he added. "We've had a great run, Ky."

In addition to his vast NFL resume, Kelce was also a finalist last year for People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" award.