JiveSync

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – If you want to talk to George Kittle, get ready to wait in line.

After a recent training camp practice in Santa Clara, Kittle was swarmed — by the children of 49ers staffers, by fans screaming for autographs and hoping to pose for selfies — while teammates holler across the field long after practice is finished.

Advertisement

With apologies to Travis Kelce, if there’s anyone ready to assume the mantle of the NFL’s most popular tight end in the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, it just might be the 49ers’ Kittle.

Consider Kittle’s qualifications: In 2018, just his second year in the NFL, he led all tight ends with 1,377 receiving yards, and was third in catches, with 88, and plays in a tight end-friendly offense that should see him repeating, if not exceeding, those numbers in 2019. He’s also just beginning to tap into his social media star potential, thanks to a post-college California glow-up and an Instagram-worthy life with his new wife Claire, whom he married in a surprise ceremony in April.

In our latest edition of the training camp Q+A series, we chat with Kittle about how he plans to build off his breakout season, his advice for the league’s rookie tight ends, and just what is up with his new ponytail.

I have to imagine this training camp experience is a bit different for you, coming off a Pro Bowl season, than last year. How have you handled everything that’s come with being a star player around here?

It’s going great, it’s always great when you get back into it, get to play football, see the guys. But it’s fun too because we’re taking a lot of big steps forward, offensively and defensively, got a lot of young guys that have been stepping up already, so that’s been fun to see.

How do you build off of what you were able to do in 2018?

Growth, that’s really the key word. My rookie year was a struggle. It’s a very dense playbook, so just being able to get reps, get used to the speed of the NFL game – it’s a lot different than college. It was kind of just getting thrown into the fire, that’s how my rookie year was. So you take that and your second year try to learn from it, improve on that, and once you get comfortable, the playbook kind of takes off from there. This offense has been great for me, it’s similar to what I had at Iowa, a lot of the techniques are the same thing, so I’ve been improving on those the last three years and really just trying to get better every day.

Advertisement

What are the steps you’re hoping this offense can take in Year Three of this system and with this coaching staff, and with Jimmy back healthy?

Our biggest thing is we have to score when we’re in the red zone. That’s something we struggled with the last two years. I love Robbie Gould, but I’d rather him kick less field goals and more extra points. So that’s one thing we’ve really got to focus on, staying on the field, finishing when we get down to the red zone.

You must be a big part of that. I saw you had a touchdown today in team drills. What’s your chemistry been like so far in this camp with Garoppolo in the red zone? [Note: Kittle had five touchdowns in 2018, which tied for seventh among tight ends. The 49ers had the worst red zone offense in the NFL last year, scoring touchdowns on just 41% of drives inside the 20-yard line.]

Really good. One thing I love about Jimmy is he just gives guys a chance to make plays, whether that’s me, Dante, Deebo, Marquis, he’s giving us the opportunity, and if you take advantage of that opportunity, he keeps feeding you and keeps feeding you. That’s all you can ask for.

How do you fit in this new generation of tight ends? With Rob Gronkowski retired now, is there an opportunity for someone else to become the next great tight end in this league?

Well, Gronk is never gone [laughs]. My big thing is, I just like watching tight ends succeed, that’s just good for the position group. Now, whether that’s Kelce, (Eagles TE Zach) Ertz, (Colts TE Eric) Ebron, (Bucs TE) OJ Howard, (Austin) Hooper in Atlanta. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as it’s not against me.

I’m based in Denver, so I’ve been watching former Iowa Hawkeye and the Broncos’ first-round draft pick Noah Fant a decent amount this preseason. How much are you watching him and fellow Hawkeye, Lions first-round pick TJ Hockenson, in their rookie camps? What sort of advice are you able to give them about what their rookies years are going to be like, especially for Noah, who is learning a very similar offense to the one you’re playing in?

I try to check in with them at least once a week because your rookie year is tough. You go from a whole college season to bowl prep to combine to rookie minicamp and you really only get a month off. It’s a long year. So I just try to keep up with them, if they have any questions. They’re both very mature, and I’m sure they’re going to be just fine.

OK now I have to ask about your hair, and this poll going on on social media between you and [49ers assistant coach] Katie Sowers about who has the better mini-ponytail. How did this start?

It’s a little competition. We’re kind of twins. I’m not really sure yet. I’m just letting mine go, and she thinks I’m copying her. I’ll let mine get longer than hers and then I’ll be winning.

Advertisement

Is this your first foray into the world of the manbun?

This is the longest my hair has ever been in my life. Hard-core experimenting. If my wife didn’t like it, I would have cut it already. But she’s on board.

(Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57kGpocXBkZXxzfJByZmlwX2WDcLnAp5mupqNiwamxjKucra2io3qwsoyjoKalqWK0brXTrGSbnZWjeqK6jJ6vnKGknruoedKupKadomKzsL6MbXCeqqNiwaqzx61knqaUYrSmu9GgnGajmanBrbGO