Eagles Notes: Kelly’s Ties To College Title Game

Chip Kelly’s ties to Oregon are obvious. After the Eagles’ season ended, he was asked if he planned on attending last night’s game against Florida State.

“I’m working,” he said. “I hope they get the chance to play the next week because I think we may be off then. But I’m fired up playing for those guys. Talked to a lot of those guys, and talked to the coaching staff and talked to [Mark Helfrich] last night after our game. He called me after our game. So I’m a big Ducks fan right now and always will be.”

Kelly apparently will be in attendance when Oregon goes for the title against Ohio State next week.

Oregon OC Scott Frost said Chip Kelly texted him before the game that he was going to Dallas and would see the Ducks there.

— Ryan Thorburn (@rgduckfootball) January 2, 2015

Kelly’s 2010 Oregon team lost to Auburn in the title game. The Ducks have gone 24-3 in the past two seasons under Helfrich.

Kelly has ties to the Ohio State program as well. Urban Meyer spent time with the Eagles in the summer.

“I’ve known Urban for a long time,” Kelly said at the time. “I have a lot of respect for him. I think he’s one of the all‑time great coaches in college football. He’s very good friends with Billy Davis. Billy and him went to college together. I visited Urban when he was at Florida and went to Ohio State this year to watch him practice. He’s one of the guys I talk a lot of football with. We share ideas and we get as much out of them as they get out of us.”

More on the visit from a Sports Illustrated story:

“We want to be the Philadelphia Eagles of college football.” That’s meant everything from music blaring in practice, just like Kelly did in Eugene when he coached at Oregon, to players getting their urine tested every day to see if hydration levels are high enough. A brave Ohio State assistant strength coach, Anthony Schlegel, dressed up in a faux “nuclear suit” to collect urine Wednesday morning.

And from Joel Klatt of Fox Sports:

talked with @OSUCoachMeyer about his time in June with Chip Kelly…Says Chip is doing things nobody thinks about #innovative — Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) July 28, 2014

Urban Meyer also said he learned more in the 3 days with Chip Kelly than he has in years!

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) July 28, 2014

Kelly will obviously be rooting for the Ducks, but he’s got friends on both sides of the national title game.