San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is one of the most popular players on the roster and one of the more entertaining personalities in the NFL. He finished the season with 85 catches for 1,053 yards with five touchdowns. It was Kittle's second consecutive season of 1,000-or-more receiving yards, and he became the fifth player and first tight end in franchise history to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
This season's performance earned Kittle his second Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro nod.
The Kittle family spoke with NBC as part of Saturday's 49ers-Vikings pre-game coverage. Fans know George as the exciting football star who makes big plays on Sundays. But the interviews with the Kittles, which include his mother Jan, father Bruce, and sister Emma, give fans a more personal look at who the tight end is and their family dynamic.
"People only know George as the size and the attitude and the swag that he has now," Emma said during the interview. "But I feel like I just see him still as my little brother."
If you want to know where George got his athleticism, look no further than his mother, who is in the Iowa High School Sports Hall of Fames for basketball and softball.
The family also discusses the meaning behind the bear claw tattoo on George's arm, the history of playing sports for the family, watching George's journey to the NFL, and then flourishing in the league, his Pro Football Focus grades, and more.
George's father, Bruce, also discusses his often emotional pre-game letters to his son, which the tight end reads before each game. The tradition started during George's time at Iowa, and the tight end still has all of them. Bruce shares how it all started and how it keeps him connected with his son.
"They're something that means a lot to me," George Kittle said. "Every single letter is completely unique. Every single letter tells a story. I learn something new from every single letter, whether it's intensity — he just gives me good quotes left and right."
Oh, and what did Bruce think about that now-iconic play by his son to help the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints during Week 14?
"The New Orleans game, that play, I mean, I'm as big a fan as anybody so you kind of go back and forth and you're like, 'Holy cow. I can't believe that happened,'" Bruce said.
You can watch the entire feature with the Kittle family below.