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George Kittle

Biography

Born October 9, 1993, in Madison, Wisconsin, George Krieger Kittle grew up in a family steeped in athletic excellence. His father Bruce was a four-year letterman and co-captain of Iowa's 1982 Rose Bowl squad before becoming a college football coach, while his mother Jan Krieger earned Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame honors and All-America recognition as a basketball player at Drake University. After moving to Iowa in 2000, Kittle attended multiple high schools before finishing at Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma, where he committed to play for the University of Iowa.

Kittle played at Iowa from 2012 to 2016 under head coach Kirk Ferentz, initially buried on the depth chart behind multiple tight ends. His role expanded as a junior in 2015 when he caught twenty receptions for 290 yards and six touchdowns, ranking sixth in the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns. As a senior, Kittle recorded his best statistical game against North Dakota State with five receptions for 110 yards, finishing the season with 22 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns. He completed his collegiate career with 48 receptions for 737 yards and ten touchdowns.

The San Francisco 49ers selected Kittle in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft, reuniting the 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end with Iowa teammate C.J. Beathard. Kittle's combination of elite blocking ability and explosive receiving skills—particularly his yards-after-catch prowess—revolutionized the tight end position. December 9, 2018, showcased his dominance when he set a franchise record with 210 receiving yards in just the first half against Denver, becoming the first 49ers tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Three weeks later, he broke Travis Kelce's single-season receiving yards record for a tight end, finishing with 1,377 yards while also becoming the first tight end to lead the NFL in yards after catch (870). His most memorable moment came December 8, 2019, against New Orleans when he caught a crucial fourth-and-two pass for 39 yards—seventeen of which he gained while being face-masked by Saints cornerback Marcus Williams while carrying two other defenders—setting up the game-winning field goal in a 48-46 thriller.

Through nine seasons, Kittle has compiled 8,008 career receiving yards and 595 receptions with 52 touchdowns. His four career 1,000-yard seasons rank tied for second-most by a tight end in NFL history behind only Travis Kelce, while his 6,390 receiving yards through his first 100 games rank third-most by a tight end all-time. Kittle has earned seven Pro Bowl selections and two First-team All-Pro honors (2019, 2023), ranking third in 49ers history in receiving yards behind only Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens.

Off the field, Kittle married his college sweetheart, former Iowa basketball player Claire Till in April 2019. A professional wrestling enthusiast who uses Penta's "Cero Miedo" taunt after first downs, Kittle has appeared in commercials for the NFL, Little Caesars, Old Spice, Zenni Optical, and Ritz Crackers while establishing himself as one of the most charismatic personalities in professional football.