MIAMI, Fla. -- George Kittle has been having an amazing time in Miami during Super Bowl LIV events, including meeting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in person.
The 49ers tight end has been a wrestling fan since his college days at Iowa when close friend Steve Manders made him sit down and watch it consistently. He became entranced by wrestling personalities and their enthusiasm.
Since being drafted by the 49ers, Kittle has been a conduit for transitioning wrestling fans into NFL fans. His first-down celebration originates from Pentagon Jr., who is a masked luchador wrestler currently under contract with the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) league.
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SIGN UP HERE “Two years ago in New Orleans, I went to Wrestlemania, and watched him wrestle six different times at a bunch of different shows,” Kittle said Friday before traveling to Miami. “Just like his swagger in the ring and his confidence, just kind of stuck with me. I mean, wrestling, it's something that I love and enjoy, too. So, just seeing that in the ring and just how he holds himself and how he enters the ring, how he leaves the ring, everything he does has a purpose, and I just kind of love that.”
Kittle believes blending wrestling fans and football fanatics can be an exciting, yet natural combination. Some of the items in his clothing line even feature a luchador mask.
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“It’s awesome,” Kittle said Tuesday. “Everyone should be fans of everything, really. I think wrestling is such a unique thing and football is such a unique thing and then you have the crossover between fans. It’s beautiful to me.
“I love wresting fans because of how passionate they are about their wrestlers and about their sport. I think football is very similar to that and whenever you can have that crossover, it’s just special.”
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As Kittle has grown into a star, so has his fan club. He broke the single-season receiving record for a tight end in 2018 with 1,377 yards, and has led the 49ers in receiving yards for two straight seasons (1,053 yards in 2019).
Wrestling fans joining Kittle’s following have created a mania that likely won't stop, even after Super Bowl LIV.
Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers Super Bowl coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8 p.m. Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday, and 3 p.m. Saturday).
Also tune in at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday for a two-hour special of "49ers Pregame Live" with Laura Britt, Donte Whitner, Jeff Garcia, Ian Williams, Kelli Johnson, Greg Papa and Grant Liffmann. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on "49ers Postgame Live," starting immediately after the game.