NFL: George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers seeks glory in the Super Bowl

In an arena where outsized personalities regurgitate homogenized quotes for waiting scribes, unpredictability isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but San Francisco tight end George Kittle frequently provides a breath of fresh air amid the staleest sound bites. .

While you may actually want to “take each game as it comes” while reminding yourself that the NFL season is “a marathon, not a sprint.”

Kittle rarely settles for the ordinary, whether he shows up in hilarious T-shirts, including one, famously, portraying a topless Jimmy Garoppolo, in front of a newsroom in search of clickbait, or taking on QB-hungry pass rushers. in the line of scrimmage.

The six-year veteran, selected in the fifth round of the draft when the new era 49ers of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan arrived in the Bay Area, quickly established himself as one of the best tight ends in the the league.

He kept close company with Travis Kelce (Chiefs) and Mark Andrews (Ravens), as well as Rob Gronkowski (Patriots/Buccaneers) when he played, and is now an indispensable part of the Niners’ offense as they seek a return to Super Bowl. . Bowling glory.

His appearance might hint at a man to be careful of, both on and off the field, but not surprisingly, Kittle is known as ‘The People’s Tight End’, a nickname coined by WWE legend The Rock but adopted. easily by The Faithful.

Considerate of others, a willing charitable volunteer and eloquent with it, the 29-year-old Wisconsin native clearly saves his slump for the gridiron, where he is recognized as one of the best, if not the best, tight ends in the game.

“Grandma told me two things,” she says of the woman who finally got to see her grandson in NFL action for the first time after her 100th birthday before the Week 18 closer against Arizona.

First, treat others the way you want to be treated, be kind to people and appreciate them for who they are without judging them. That, and just being present in all situations, because moments come and go and you don’t want to be aloof and not realize how special a moment is.

Kittle has had many moments to be present. From the three high schools he attended in Wisconsin and Oklahoma, through a college career at the University of Iowa in which he had just 48 receptions, 737 yards and 10 touchdowns through one season in the pros. that has provided ups and downs. He has led to the current season in which the 49ers have re-established themselves as contenders.

“We’ve got to appreciate this moment we’re in,” he repeats for the 2022-23 Niners benefit.

‘I went 0-9 as a rookie before finishing strong but not making the playoffs; I went 4-12 my sophomore year; then he had a Super Bowl run but didn’t win; In 2020, we thought we were great, but we had so many injuries that we couldn’t win a game and we missed the playoffs; then 2021 we made a ton to be late but we didn’t make it [to the Super Bowl]…’

In addition to being a fan favorite, Kittle is also a gamer’s player, loved in his own locker room and a huge fan of those around him.

His positive assessments of rookie seventh-round QB Brock Purdy have become a staple at press conferences, but the praise goes up tenfold in recognition of the selfless contribution that Kittle, as far from a diva as it is possible to be, brings to the team and the wider game.

This is the guy, after all, who helped create National Close Ends Day and, from there, the University of Close Ends (TEU) along with Kelce and the now-retired Greg Olsen.

Seeing an opportunity to not only boost recognition for his position, but also work on honing the skills that make him so valuable to offenses, the trio began by inviting 35 of the NFL’s best to a seasonal camp. low, only to discover they had to triple the down payment, and find larger locations than Kittle’s Nashville property, to meet the interest a year later.

“My goal is to get all these guys together, a lot of them don’t know each other or have never communicated with each other, and that bothers me,” Kittle explained at the 2021 camp kickoff.

‘Tight end is a do-it-all position, so why not bring the best in the world to one place and learn from each other?’

The now four-time Pro Bowler is coming off a season in which he became the sixth tight end to rack up more than 5,000 receiving yards in his first six seasons, while his eight receiving touchdowns, seven of which came from Purdy, represent a solo- high season in his career.

“I love catching footballs,” he noted during an early season drought, in which his elite blocking, a legacy of his role at Iowa, was needed to plug holes in a depleted defensive line.

“I love being out there scoring, but some nights it doesn’t happen. Damned if I don’t make an impact in the running game, though.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk rates Kittle’s blocking ability the best of all time among tight ends, and the Niners’ running game certainly benefits from their penchant for beating down would-be tacklers as part of a multidimensional offense.

‘Elijah Mitchell is wonderful at blocking, and Deebo [Samuel]”He’s a powerhouse for us,” he says of two players who recently returned from injury.

“Elijah is a runner who goes down so fast that it’s very easy for him to block, while Deebo is a train on the tracks that nobody interferes with.

“I’m excited to see him on the ball again because every time he touches it and makes a guy miss or kicks a guy, it definitely sets the tone for our offense.

‘When he’s doing stuff like that, and all our skill guys are playing at that level, the energy is even higher!’

And it’s not just skill position players that Kittle is pleased to see return, noting the impact defensive lineman Nick Bosa and his offensive counterpart Trent Williams have had on San Francisco’s climb up the standings, and he’s looking forward to learn from the great man up front.

‘when we fly [to games]Trent sits right next to me and I always like to lean in and listen to him approach the blocks,’ he says of a common part of their respective games.

“The amount of video you see on every defensive event you’re going up against is insane. He watches hundreds of cuts from every race they’ve faced in recent years and now he knows, “Okay, that’s their main move, and I know this is their counter.” Listen to him talk about football and he’s almost more fluent than English.’

With the 49ers’ rebuilt roster gradually returning to full health, the team should only get more potent through the playoffs, but Kittle wants to advise against getting complacent lest they fall short yet again.

“The winning streak of 10 games is incredible, but now it means nothing,” he explains.

‘We’ve secured both seeds, but it’s all amplified a bit more. This opportunity we’re in right now is crazy.

‘We have two home games and we have to take advantage of that as we have set ourselves up for success. We just have to go execute.