Rob Riggle Says He Thinks ‘the World’ of Travis Kelce and Loved Him ‘Before the Taylor of It All’ (Exclusive)

Riggle and Kelce will compete in the 35th Annual American Century Championship this weekend

<p>Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock</p> Rob Riggle and Travis Kelce at the 2024 Big Slick Party & Show

Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

Rob Riggle and Travis Kelce at the 2024 Big Slick Party & Show

Actor and comedian Rob Riggle thinks "the world" of Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the celebrity practice rounds for the 35th Annual American Century Championship presented by American Century Investments, Riggle, 54, says he's been a fan of 34-year-old Kelce since before he was a three-time Super Bowl champion and Taylor Swift's boyfriend.

"He's so gracious with his time. He came and helped me with my charity event in Kansas City, the Big Slick, and I love him," Riggle says of the tight end, who will be competing in the Lake Tahoe golf tournament as well.

The Night School star added that he was "a fan of his way back before any of the Super Bowl wins started happening," and "way before the Taylor of it all."

"I've been fortunate enough to get to know him over the years, and I just think the world of him," Riggle continued, calling Kelce "motivated, happy" and a "good energy guy."

Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Leave Hand-in-Hand After Her Third Eras Tour Show in Amsterdam: Watch

"And if you find people like that, you want to hang around them," Riggle added.

The Annual American Century Championship will kick off on Friday, July 12 and run through Sunday, July 14.

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Both Kelce brothers — Jason, 36, and Travis — will be competing in the tournament, along with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Travis's pal and former NBA player Chandler Parsons, San Francisco 49er Kyle Juszczyk, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and retired MLB star Alex Rodriguez, among others.

Travis and Mahomes, 28, will report back to Kansas City for the Chiefs' mandatory training camp on July 21.

<p>Ezra Shaw/Getty </p> Patrick Mahomes (L) and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs pose for photos prior to Capital One's The Match VIII

Ezra Shaw/Getty

Patrick Mahomes (L) and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs pose for photos prior to Capital One's The Match VIII

When it comes to making time for Swift, the tight end has been taking full advantage of his final days of the offseason and traveling to meet the Grammy winner as she performs her record-breaking Eras Tour through Europe.

Related: Jason Kelce Reveals Wife Kylie Bought Him Khaki Pants for Golf Tournament and 'Packed Them for Me'

On July 6, Travis was joined by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes at Swift's show at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.

In a video posted by a fan, which was reshared on X (formerly known as Twitter), the trio was seen swaying near each other in the suite as the “Karma" singer performed.

And when Brittany, 28, and Patrick departed London at the end of their trip, the mother of two showed her love for Swift again when she used the singer's track "So Long, London" in a cheeky Instagram Story.

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