San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle joined the Bussin' with the Boys podcast this week, joined by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Both are in Tennessee for Kittle's Tight End University. Allen is among several quarterbacks on hand to throw footballs to the large contingent of tight ends.
During the lengthy conversation on the Barstool Sports podcast, the topic of fanbases came up. Allen has played in front of Bills Mafia his entire career, while Kittle has been among The Faithful. The two groups create very different atmospheres heading into game days, leading Kittle to reflect on his college playing days at Iowa.
Kittle sounded in awe of Buffalo fans, who are eager to show their support of the Bills at every opportunity, even in blistering cold weather.
"I get chills thinking about it," Allen commented. "... It's pretty special."
Kittle asked Allen about the days leading to a game and the atmosphere in the area.
"There's an energy," Allen responded.
The 49ers tight end loved hearing that, prompting him to reflect on his NFL experience playing in Santa Clara.
"Santa Clara, we'll have fans and stuff outside the games, when you leave practices, and stuff like that," Kittle shared. "When we're in San Francisco, for sure, there's a buzz in the city of San Francisco. But it's a little different where we live. We're in the heart of Silicon Valley. A lot of people don't really care about the Niners. They don't care about football. A lot of people don't even know what it is out there."
The 49ers played on the southern border of San Francisco when the team's home venue was Candlestick Park. The Niners moved to Levi's Stadium in 2014.
The 49ers drafted Kittle in 2017, so he has never experienced playing games closer to the heart of San Francisco. However, at Iowa, he loved the region's passion for Hawkeyes football.
"Going into a big game, night game, starting Wednesday, you would just see Iowa football jerseys up and down the streets, and everyone is just drinking in the streets, ready to roll. Then, when you pull into the stadium, like Saturday afternoon—everybody's there. There's more people outside than there are inside. I don't know. That's how I think football should be. But that's how I imagine Buffalo is."
Allen added that Sundays in Buffalo are for the Bills, indicating that the atmosphere in the area is similar to what the 49ers tight end described as his collegiate experience.
"That's awesome," Kittle responded.