MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — When Randy Moss sat down on the New Heights with Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce, the conversation turned into something bigger than football. It became a tribute to West Virginia — its people, its values, and the quiet authenticity that seems to define those who call the Mountain State home.
Jason Kelce put it plainly.
“What is it about guys from West Virginia? I golfed with this dude (Jason Williams) and had the most fun outing of my life at the Jerome Bettis golf outing this past year. It feels like you’re the same way. Nick Saban, even hearing him talk. There’s an authenticity and a realness…I don’t even know how to describe it. It feels like I love everybody that I meet from West Virginia, and I don’t exactly know why.
What is it about West Virginia that it feels like guys that come out of it, they’re not trying to be anything, they’re very grounded in who they are. They’re proud of who they are, and they don’t take sh*t from nobody. That’s pretty much the vibe I get from everybody I’ve met that’s from West Virginia.”
It wasn’t a throwaway compliment. It was recognition — from one of the most respected voices in football — that there’s something distinct about West Virginians.
Moss didn’t hesitate when it was his turn to answer.
“I just think that if you come from humble beginnings, I think that’s what keeps a person grounded. I think that everyone that I’ve seen from West Virginia, all of the celebrities, just being humbled and keeping grounded.
One of the things I said in my Hall of Fame speech back in 2018…just growing up and nobody caring about who I was or who we were. I grew up in an unincorporated community, and still to this day, my community is still unincorporated.
Being able to grow up in some real type of surroundings and understanding what’s real in life, you learn that at a very young age coming out of the state of West Virginia. Not just where I’m from and the county — I think it’s the state as a whole. And what you see is what you get.
I know there’s a whole lot of people struggling back at home, and that’s one of the things that kept me grounded. Going back and doing charity events, and going back — I even took my Hall of Fame jacket back home. The reason why is because I wanted to give the kids something real to see, something real to touch. I just want to be able to give hope to people who grew up like I did.”
“West Virginians are the realest people in the world.” pic.twitter.com/XZKX4CJNpY
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) March 9, 2026
That’s West Virginia. No pretense. No manufactured image. No trying to be something you’re not. Just real people shaped by hard work, tight-knit communities, and a deep sense of pride in where they come from.
Kelce’s observation hits on something locals have always known: West Virginians don’t chase an identity — they live it. Whether it’s Moss dominating NFL secondaries, coaches like Nick Saban commanding national powerhouses, or everyday folks representing their state with grit and humility, there’s a shared foundation built on humble beginnings and unwavering authenticity.
You hear it in their voices. You see it in how they carry themselves. You feel it in how they treat people.
Moss’ story is the blueprint. Growing up in an unincorporated community. Remembering what it feels like to be overlooked. Returning home not for headlines, but for hope. Bringing his Hall of Fame jacket back so kids could touch the dream and believe it’s possible.
That’s not celebrity behavior. That’s community behavior.
And it’s why West Virginians connect wherever they go. The state produces people who are grounded, loyal, generous, and unshakably proud of their roots. People who don’t forget where they came from — and make sure the next generation doesn’t feel forgotten either.
So when Jason Kelce says he loves everyone he meets from West Virginia, he’s really describing a culture:
Humble beginnings. Authentic lives. Pride without arrogance. Toughness without cruelty.
Success without forgetting home. In a world full of filters and facades, West Virginians remain refreshingly real.
And as Randy Moss reminded everyone, what you see is what you get.
