"He's got a knife": Donna Kelce recalls terrifying Travis Kelce incident that could have ended badly

Last year, Donna Kelce gave fans a glimpse into the chaos of raising two future NFL stars, and her stories were anything but ordinary. From a toddler figuring out how to start a car to a young boy throwing knives into the air, the Kelce household had its share of frightening moments. During an appearance on her daughter-in-law Kylie's podcast, Donna also settled a question many fans might have wondered about: Was Jason or Travis Kelce harder to raise? Her answer offered a funny but revealing look at how different her sons were as children.Donna Kelce explains why Jason and Travis were different childrenDuring her November 6, 2025, appearance on Kylie's Not Gonna Lie podcast, Donna Kelce opened up about raising Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce with her former husband, Ed Kelce.When Kylie asked which son was tougher to raise, Donna pointed towards the difference in their personalities. Jason, as the older child, was generally more willing to listen and follow instructions. Travis, on the other hand, had a habit of doing things his own way."You know, I think Jason, because he was the oldest and, you know, always the elder child in the family, not all the time, but especially with Jason, he would tend to listen and follow the rules," Donna explained. "Yeah. Travis isn't a rule follower."That difference became clear when Donna recalled an incident involving a three-year-old Travis. She had placed car keys and knives out of his reach, but the youngster found a way to climb up drawers and retrieve things.Donna remembered finding both boys inside the family car after Travis had managed to unlock it. He then put the key in the ignition and started the vehicle, sending it straight through the garage door."He knew exactly what we were doing," she said. "He knew how to unlock the car door, get into it, and then slam it shut. And I don't know how he did it, but somehow, and thank goodness, it was not an automatic. He put the keys in the car, he knew exactly what to do and turned it on and it jumped and went right through the garage door."Donna Kelce recalls a frightening childhood incident involving JasonTravis was not the only one who gave his mother a scare. Donna also shared a particularly alarming memory involving Jason and a set of knives.After returning home from picking Jason up at daycare, she heard someone shout, "Oh my God, he's got a knife!"She immediately knew which child was involved. Jason had apparently reached the knives stored high in a cabinet and started throwing them into the air while Travis watched."I knew who it was immediately," she said. "I knew it was Jason. He was the only one that was tall enough who could reach them."Donna rushed outside to stop him, later recalling how close the incident could have come to ending badly.Now a grandmother to Jason and Kylie's four daughters, Donna sees a striking difference between raising boys and girls. She said her granddaughters can sit down and enjoy crafts, something she rarely experienced with her sons.For Donna, those memories offer a glimpse of the energetic childhoods behind two of the NFL's biggest stars. And while both boys kept her on her toes, Travis clearly had a special talent for testing the rules.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.