49ers tight end Kittle enjoys spotlight, stays grounded.
When George Kittle was a blocking tight end at Iowa and an under-the-radar rookie with the 49ers, he told himself he’d never turn down an autograph request.
Then Kittle had more receiving yards than any tight end in NFL history in 2018.
And now those autograph requests are piling up like his statistics in his breakout season.
“It’s really, really hard” to sign everything, Kittle said in a phone interview. “I’m not going to lie: It’s a difficult thing
49ers tight end George Kittle, shown on radio row before the Super Bowl in Atlanta, lobbied on Twitter to become a Skittles pitchman. After a 1,377-yard season, he got his wish.
because it doesn’t run out. People keep showing up. And they keep showing up.
“I have a little bit of a timer in my head, but I usually don’t notice (it’s time to go) until my wrist gets a little tired. The Pro Bowl was wild. There were just so many fans.”
Life obviously has changed for Kittle, whose early offseason has made it clear the 2017 fifth-round pick has moved from relative anonymity to NFL celebrity. A year ago, before his record-breaking 1,377-yard season, Kittle was a project who had collected 1,252
combined receiving yards in his four-year college career and first NFL season.
Now, that second season has led to a series of firsts.
In the past three-plus weeks, Kittle has played in his first Pro Bowl, appeared in his first commercial (an online-only spot for Visa), made his first trip outside the United States (he went to Canada on behalf of NFL International) and realized a quirky dream by inking his first deal with Skittles.
Kittle served as a brand ambassador for Visa and Skittles during Super Bowl week in Atlanta — meaning he signed short-term promotional contracts tied to the event. He then traveled to Toronto, where he met with fans and sponsors on Super Bowl Sunday as part of his 36-hour visit.
The two-week tour — from Orlando to Atlanta to Toronto — was filled with interviews, glad-handing and, naturally, autograph requests. And it provided Kittle, a 25-year-old with an engaging personality, a glimpse into a future that could include long-term endorsements and other off-the-field opportunities.
In his tongue-in-cheek, 15-second Visa commercial, Kittle has so much extra time after using the tap-to-pay credit card that he takes up painting and produces a brilliant self-portrait. (Said Kittle of his acting chops: “I took drama in eighth grade. So I’m ready.”)
As part of his work hawking candy, Kittle sported a red shirt with the company logo and enthusiastically punctuated each of his many interviews on radio row in Atlanta with his go-to line: “You can’t spell Skittles without Kittle.”
“Watching George grow and come out — we’re all getting to see his personality,” said Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta. “It’s very natural. He’s very outgoing. He’s very gregarious. He’s a guy you always just want to throw in a room and you can trust that he’s just going to be himself and have fun.”
Bechta’s agency, JB Sports, arranged for its client to finally connect with Skittles, which is among a list of Kittle’s passions that include pro wrestling and Panda Express.
As a junior in high school, Kittle sported custom cleats that included the phrase “Taste the Rainbow,” which is part of Skittle’s long-running advertising campaign. More recently, he’d taken to hounding the company on social media.
“Well, I tweeted them pretty often: ‘What’s up? I’m wearing your T-shirt,’ ” Kittle said. “Like I said, I’ve been plugging it for a while.”
Kittle also wants to send this message to 49ers fans: He’s not ditching hard work and going Hollywood.
Last year, he was voted one of five team captains midway through his second season, which was partly a nod to his commitment and drive. He credited last year’s offseason work in Tennessee for much of his 2018 success, and he returned to Nashville after the Super Bowl to begin preparing for the 2019 season.
Kittle noted he started training last year during Super Bowl week, meaning he’s a week behind.
“The whole thing has just been fun,” Kittle said. “But right now, I’m happy it’s over and I can work out and do football things. That is one thing I am thankful for: It’s a two-week thing, and it’s back to the grind. And I love the grind.”
Kittle’s agency had another promotional opportunity lined up, but Kittle declined it to begin his six-day-a-week program that includes speed, agility, strength and routerunning work with a group of NFL players that includes 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Kittle is living with Green Bay tight end Robert Tonyan until he returns to Santa Clara for the start of the 49ers’ offseason program in April.
“George and his family are aware of the fact that what butters his bread is being successful on the field,” Bechta said. “He’s also grounded to the fact that he’s had one great year. And one great year doesn’t make a great player. And now the challenge for him is can he do it again with popularity, noise and opportunity being thrown at him? That’s the challenge.”
“I took drama in eighth grade. So I’m ready.” George Kittle, 49ers tight end, on appearing in a Visa commercial
Beyond proving 2018 wasn’t a fluke, Kittle, who will earn a $645,000 base salary this season, won’t lack for financial motivation: He is eligible to sign what could be a massive contract extension after the 2019 season. How much more might he earn? Kansas City’s Travis Kelce — whose 1,336 yards last year would have been the NFL record for tight ends were it not for Kittle — will make $8.75 million next season.
As part of his offseason improvement plan, Kittle plans to connect with 2019 Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gonzalez, the Cal alum who is widely recognized as the best tight end in NFL history. Niners tight ends coach Jon Embree, who was Gonzalez’s position coach for three seasons with Kansas City, is coordinating a meeting between the tight ends.
In the meantime, Kittle will work to stay ahead of less heralded players at his position.
When asked about guarding against an overinflated ego given the attention he’s receiving, Kittle said he stays humbled by the prospect of losing his starting job.
He pointed to last year’s midseason win over the Raiders, which he briefly left because of a cracked rib. In Kittle’s absence, undrafted rookie Ross Dwelley had his first NFL reception. The lesson that was reinforced for the recordbreaking tight end from humble beginnings: His job is never safe.
“That was awesome and I love Dwelley,” Kittle said. “But it’s like, ‘Hey, I can’t let those opportunities go away.’ And I’ve learned that. I always think about it. So that keeps me pretty grounded.”