Three former Iowa Hawkeyes are on the San Francisco 49ers roster. All of them were college teammates. Until Tuesday, two of them were listed as starters on the 49ers' depth chart. That changed when San Francisco announced that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would start in place of C.J. Beathard against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The lone starter that remains is tight end George Kittle. He is Beathard's close friend and former roommate. The two are excited to continue their football careers together. However, due to an injury (knee, hip) sustained on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, if Beathard is even suited up in Chicago, he will play the role of the observer from the sideline.
In case you were wondering, cornerback Greg Mabin, who was signed on October 18, is the third former Hawkeye.
How is Beathard dealing with the demotion? On Thursday night, Kittle offered an answer during an interview on 95.7 The Game.
"C.J.'s a professional," Kittle told Damon Bruce. "He has been since the first time I met him. That's just how he is. He's going to show up every single day no matter if he's starting or not starting. That's how he was when Brian Hoyer was the starting quarterback. He just takes every opportunity that comes to him.
"Everybody wants to play football, but we have full trust in Coach Shanahan and Jimmy. [Beathard]'s doing great. He's just looking forward to his next opportunity."
As for Kittle's new starting quarterback, Garoppolo, the tight end is excited to see what he brings to the offense.
"He brings his own style and his own attitude," Kittle said. "It's fun to watch and get used to. I'm really looking forward to sharing the field with him."