Getty Vince McMahon during a 2013 press conference announcing Wrestlemania 29.
What if George Kittle wasn’t on the San Francisco 49ers? Or managed to add a second job?
What if the native of Madison, Wisconsin and former Iowa Hawkeye chose a different career path? Or add another entertainment avenue on his resume?
ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!
Kittle has obviously worked out extremely well in the NFL landscape — with two Pro Bowls, an NFC title, 3,991 career receiving yards and now, two catches away from his 300th career reception as proof of his brilliance in the league. But with his frame, his long strands of hair and the wild man persona that he has plus his moniker “the People’s Tight End,” one analyst thinks he’s perfect for another entertainment outlet that’s taken current and former pros: World Wrestling Entertainment.
‘The People’s Tight End’ is Perfect for the WWE Universe
On a recent edition of “I’m Just Saying” with Brian Mazique, the question was asked: Which player in the NFL has a career in pro wrestling if they want it?
This 49ers writer wrote down Kittle’s name. Here’s why:
“He has the hair, he has the zany persona, he’s a wrestling fan, he has the frame, he’s already built as a heavyweight, he’s already done WWE appearances and just that whole persona,” I said on why he’s prime for a possible WWE future.
Honestly, he looks like someone who could’ve thrived in the “Attitude” era of WWE or when the business was gaining popularity during the 1980s.
“He literally looks like someone who could’ve wrestled Hulk Hogan or “Macho Man” Randy Savage,” I said. “He has that whole persona and that whole image.”
Mazique agreed, saying “Yeah, that one is a no brainer for me for sure. Because I literally think if you ask him that, he’s like ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do.'”
Here’s another reason why Kittle and the WWE ring could work: The company’s success with past NFL players.
Bill Goldberg played for the Atlanta Falcons before crossing over to the ring. Steve McMichael not only won a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears, but adopted the wrestling name “Mongo” and once stood ringside for another Super Bowl champion who wrestled at Wrestlemania: Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants. Additionally, current WWE superstar Joe Anoa’i’, better known to the world as “Roman Reigns,” played in the Canadian Football League.
Kittle and the WWE Have Crossed Paths Already
Kittle is a clear avid fan of the WWE. So much so, that there’s these career highlights — with a WWE angle.
On September 24, 2019, Kittle — sporting a T-Shirt with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on it — shared his back-and-forth exchange on Twitter with the WWE legend and Hollywood actor, with Kittle saying “I’m not sure if I’m still dreaming yet. That was pretty cool. I’ve been a huge Rock fan for most of my life and the fact that I get a response…I feel like a little kid again.”
And, during that interview, Kittle responded to the fantasy he had of wanting to be a WWE superstar.
“It’s just something I have a passion for. I just love it,” Kittle said. Then the interview ended with Kittle impersonating his favorite wrestler.
Also, in April of 2020, Kittle was a special guest in breaking down some of his favorite Wrestlemania moments.
Then, on the day he signed his contract extension with the 49ers, Kittle got this surprise from the WWE universe: Wrestling legend “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
More from Heavy’s segment on NFL players who would make great wrestlers can be viewed down below: