The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kelce, Kittle could steal show
Tights ends for Chiefs, 49ers are special talents who find ways to impact games, torment defenses.
Former Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez can’t wait to see San Francisco’s George Kittle and Kansas City’s Travis Kelce in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday.
“I love it,” Gonzalez said. “When I got into (the NFL), it was rare for tight ends to catch 80 to 100 balls year in and year out. It happened every once in a while, but now you see those guys put up those numbers consistently.”
Gonzalez compared Kittle with Jeremy Shockey.
“He was violent and ran over people,” Gonzalez said.
Kelce presents his set of problems for the opposing defense.
“They are using him all over,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a matchup nightmare.”
Kittle caught 85 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season. Kelce caught 97 passes for 1,229 yards and five touchdowns.
“This whole story is about the tight ends and what they mean to their teams,” said Gonzalez, who went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last season. “They are guys that mean a lot to their offenses. They go as the tight end goes.”
Gonzalez is expecting both teams to get creative when they utilize their dynamic tight ends.
“Whoever wins this Super Bowl, obviously I’m hoping it’s Kansas City (where Gonzalez played the bulk of his career), that tight end is going to be a star,” Gonzalez said. “They have the personality. They both are good-looking guys. They both love playing football, and they play it the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Former New England tight end Rob Gronkowski also is fond of Kittle and Kelce.
“What I love about Kelce is how fluid he is and his flexibility,” Gronkowski said. “He can play all over the field. He runs routes. You have to put a (defensive back) on him. You can’t put a linebacker on him. He’s just going to run by him. The way he runs his routes is so crisp and smooth. Just a fantastic route runner.”
Kittle also is a strong blocker and helps to power San Francisco’s potent rushing attack.
“With Kittle, he’s just an overall solid tight end,” Gronkowski said. “He brings that passion to the game. That’s what you love to watch. When he catches that ball, you have to bring the whole defense at him. You have to attack him hard because he doesn’t want to go down. He’s trying to score every single time.”
Kittle was a fifth-round pick out of Iowa in the 2017 draft. He’s had more than 1,000 yards receiving over the past two seasons.
“When I first started watching Travis in college, the one thing that stood out right away was his personality on film,” Kittle said. “He wasn’t scared to hide it. I think that helped him play at such a high level, and that’s why he’s played at such a high level for so long.”
Kelce was taken in the third round of the 2013 draft out of Cincinnati.
“Four years at over 1,000 yards, that’s insane, especially for a tight end,” Kittle said of Kelce’s stats. “When you have a guy like that, he’s an incredible player and one of the best red-zone threats in the NFL.”
Kittle is a fan of Gonzalez. “For me just being at Iowa, I grew up with season tickets to every Iowa football game,” Kittle said. “So, Dallas Clark is who I watched. Him, Scott Chandler, I just loving watching all of the Iowa guys.
“Jermaine Gresham was one of my favorite tight ends from the University of Oklahoma. I loved watching him. Once I got into college, I spent a lot of time watching Travis Kelce, Gronk and of course, Tony Gonzalez.”
Kittle is waiting to see what his dad writes him before the Super Bowl.
“It started back in college,” Kittle said. “It was a way for him to stay in contact with me because he was out of state. I got a letter before every single game, and it’s evolved from just a pregame hype speech to a full-blown story. It just kind of connects my life and my childhood to each and every game.”
Kelce likes that the tight ends will be featured in this Super Bowl.
“I let my play on the field do my talking for me,” Kelce said. “George is an unbelievable player. I love watching him play. His tenacity and his approach to the game is relentless. I love watching it.”
Kelce, who played quarterback in high school, also is a historian of the position.
“Guys I grew up watching, guys like Todd Heap (Ravens), Heath Miller (Steelers), and obviously Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates (Chargers),” Kelce said. “Those are guys who really help mold what the tight end position was supposed to be played like when I made the transition from quarterback to tight end.”
Kelce likes Kittle’s style of play.
“Just his tenacity on every single play,” Kelce said. “His ability to get after the defender, whether it’s run or pass. I think everybody in football can appreciate that.” One last thing from Kelce. “Shout out to John Mackey!” he said of the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end who helped revolutionize the position.