San Francisco 49ers‘ star tight end George Kittle is an unabashed Caitlin Clark fan.
Kittle spoke with Scott Thompson of Fox News about a new ad with Gatorade’s Fast Twitch energy drink. In the ensuing April 24 article, Kittle heaped praise on Clark.
“She’s incredibly personable. She’s charismatic. She’s just so authentic,” Kittle said. “She doesn’t fake anything. She’s very interested in everything you’re talking about. She’s great to have a conversation with. You can tell how much she loves her teammates.”
Kittle’s adoration of Clark makes sense, considering both athletes attended the University of Iowa.
In fact, Kittle’s wife Claire played on the Iowa women’s basketball team from 2012-2016.
Kittle has a ton of respect for Clark’s competitive spirit.
“You see how she is on the court. She has this competitiveness. She’s got this fire in her,” he said. “But as soon as she gets off the court, there’s this flip of the switch. She’s just Caitlin Clark. To be able to go back and forth between all that, you have to be very good to be able to do that, and she does that flawlessly.
“With Indiana, the amount of Iowa fans who are going to travel to see her play, it’s going to be a sold-out stadium every time they play,” Kittle added. “It’s really fun to be able to follow her and her incredible journey.”
Kittle Watched Clark Play Live At Iowa
Kittle and his wife Claire were in attendance for Iowa’s March 25 NCAA Tournament game against West Virginia, which took place in Iowa City.
Therefore, the Kittle’s watched Clark score 32 points and make 5-of-14 three pointers in the Hawkeyes’ 64-54 win.
After the game, the Kittle’s took photos with Clark, which George posted on his Instagram story, per the New York Post.
“Back in Carver!” Kittle captioned the post, tagging both Claire’s and Clark’s Instagram handles.
That March 25 game ended up being the last home game of Clark’s iconic career.
She made sure to thank her faithful fans after the game ended.
“I would have never left the court if I wasn’t forced to get off,” Clark said, per the New York Post. “I think the biggest thing is just thank you [to the fans]. I’m forever grateful.”
Clark And Kittle Are Each Iowa Legends
Clark ended her Iowa career as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. The 3,951 points she accrued in her four-year tenure will be tough to beat for any future college basketball player.
Kittle also had a remarkable Iowa career. He caught 48 passes for 737 yards (15.4 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns through his four seasons. Although all 10 of those touchdown receptions came during his final two seasons.
Claire Kittle played in 95 games across her time at Iowa.
Kittle was better known for his blocking ability while at Iowa, which has been made apparent during his time with the 49ers.
Clark was selected at No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, by the Indiana Fever. Kittle, on the other hand, was selected with the 146th pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Clark and Kittle will both go down as Iowa legends.
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Fellow Iowa Legend George Kittle Puts Caitlin Clark Into Perspective