George Kittle (born October 9, 1993) is an American football tight end who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, and although he stated that he had been a big Chicago Bears fan since childhood, he was drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

“Stone Cold Kittle” has had a successful career in the NFL up so far, being named a five-time Pro Bowler and earning various accolades, including First-team and Second-team All-Pro selections.

George Kittle’s childhood and football background

Kittle was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and moved to Iowa at a young age. He attended Iowa City West High School in Iowa City, Iowa; Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa; and Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma.

He committed to the University of Iowa to play college football, which was a family affair. His father, Bruce Kittle, also played at Iowa and coached college football. Kittle’s mother, Jan Krieger, is also a notable athlete, earning All-America basketball honors at Drake University.

Kittle’s Iowa Hawkeyes years

Kittle’s role evolved at Iowa from 2012 to 2016 under head coach Kirk Ferentz. As a freshman, he had a limited role, catching five passes for 108 yards, with his first collegiate reception being a 47-yard catch against the Missouri State Bears. In the 2014 season, he had just one reception for 25 yards against Maryland.

His role expanded in the 2015 season, and he scored his first collegiate touchdown with a 43-yard reception from quarterback CJ Beathard. He finished the season with 20 receptions for 290 yards and 6 receiving touchdowns, ranking sixth in the Big Ten Conference.

As a senior in the 2016 season, Kittle led a tight end unit that included Peter Pekar and Noah Fant. He had an impressive game against North Dakota State with five receptions for 110 yards and finished the season with 22 receptions for 314 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Throughout his college career, Kittle accumulated 737 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.