So here is something you may not know about the San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end, George Kittle. You know, the guy who can be seen on a weekly basis carrying a player or two — or three — on his back and pulling them along with him for a first down.
Reading a traditional letter from his father isn't the only thing he routinely does before kickoff. It turns out, Kittle, who is preparing to play in Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs, throws up before each game. The tight end revealed this during the most recent Pardon My Take podcast.
"If you honestly want to know, as soon as we come back in from warmups, I go puke," Kittle said when asked about his pre-game traditions. "One hundred percent (true), every game. It does make me feel better."
Kittle added: "I usually go in there with a hat on backwards to hold [my hair] back."
That isn't the only thing Kittle does before each kickoff. Kittle also looks to get that first punishing hit out of the way as soon as possible. Maybe too soon.
"I always think, alright, I'm a step faster now," Kittle continued. "That's my positive mindset, and then as soon as we're walking out, I put my helmet on, and I headbutt a wall almost as hard as I can. So I learned that the first hit always hurts the most, so get it out of the way, and then there's no first hit."
With it being Kittle, it's unknown if we can assume this to be true. Maybe someone out there has first-hand experience watching Kittle leave the field after warmups, bang his head against a wall, and then go into a bathroom to throw up.
Or maybe it is just Kittle being Kittle and, as usual, being very entertaining during an interview.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Kittle below. It begins at about the 35:20 mark.