Turns out, the way to Taylor Swift‘s heart is magic tricks. In an interview on The Pivot Podcast uploaded Tuesday (Feb. 27), Mecole Hardman opened up about how he won over the 34-year-old pop star after she started dating his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce, and revealed details about the moment she gave him a big hug after he caught the game-winning touchdown at the 2024 Super Bowl.
The 25-year-old wide receiver started by praising Kelce for pulling Swift. “It’s Trav, bro,” he told the show’s hosts, laughing. “If anybody’s gonna do that, it’s Trav who’s gonna get that right there.”
“Trav is such a cool dude, and Taylor’s so cool,” he added. “She just vibes.”
Hardman went on to say that he first met the “Anti-Hero” singer at a “get-together” at Kelce’s house. At the party, he wowed Swift with an impressive card trick.
“Honestly when we leave, we’re like, ‘D–n, that’s Taylor Swift! Ay, that’s crazy,” he said of his fellow players.
Flash forward to the Feb. 11 Super Bowl at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. After the Chiefs went into overtime against the San Francisco 49ers, Hardman secured a Kansas City victory by catching quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ game-ending pass.
Immediately after the game wrapped, Swift joined the players on the field and kissed Kelce in front of NFL cameras. She also made sure to give Hardman a big hug.
“She was like, ‘Good job, proud of you, good game,’” he recalled of the moment. “Then she said something about, ‘You and these magic tricks.”
“Every time she sees me she talks about [the card trick],” No. 12 continued. “‘Your hands are magical,’ or something like that.’”
Hardman’s remarks came the same day Andy Reid revealed that Swift baked homemade pop-tarts for the Chiefs’ offensive line. “She didn’t give me one, and the offensive linemen definitely didn’t give me one,” the coach said in an interview, looking slightly miffed that he didn’t get to try one of the singer’s pastries.
“Since the queen has passed away, she might be the most famous woman in the world,” Big Red added of the star. “She’s so grounded for who she is. I think it’s a great escape for her, where she can come [to games]. She sincerely enjoys the games.”
