George Kittle can't wait to face former college teammate in 49ers-Broncos

Share

SANTA CLARA — Tight end George Kittle could line up against an old friend this Sunday when the 49ers welcome the Broncos to Levi's Stadium, and he couldn’t be more excited. 

Kittle knows that if former Iowa teammate, rookie linebacker Josey Jewell gets a chance, he will hit him harder than he’s hit anyone this season. 

“It’ll be a lot of fun,” Kittle said. “I can’t wait. We had a lot of good battles in college. He is one of the smartest players out there. He flies downhill and hits people hard.” 

Kittle says he’s been watching his former teammate’s progress and sees that Jewell has taken what he was doing in college and only gotten better. He adds that they both know each other’s strengths and weaknesses which will make facing each other like a chess game. 

On the other hand, Kittle says what he has learned since coming into the league could be an advantage over his former teammate. 

“I’m excited because I get to run more routes now,” Kittle said. “I have more freedom and it’s going to be really fun. I definitely hope I get lined up one-on-one with him and get to run route on him. Because I did it for a long time and because we know each other so well, it will be great.” 

Jewell was drafted in the fourth round by the Broncos and has played in all 12 of their games, starting in six. He has recorded 37 total tackles and had a season-high eight total tackles in Week 3 against the Ravens. 

In his second season, Kittle has caught 62 of his 93 targets for 893 yards and three touchdowns, putting him on track for a 1,000 yard season. While he would like to reach that goal, getting a win against the Broncos is more important. He knows it will be a challenge.

[RELATED: 49ers-Broncos injury report: Jeff Wilson will start]

Kittle and about 15-20 of his former college teammates keep in touch through a group text. There were jokes back and forth this week about sending over game plans, but no serious challenges were laid down. The competition is already understood and they all want each other to succeed. 

And of course, there will be some trash talk between the Kittle and Jewell on the gridiron.

“It’s so funny,” Kittle said. “He’s not very good at it. He’s an Iowa kid. He grew up on a farm. I mean I’m not very good at it either, but he’s really bad at it. He just swears a lot so it’s funny.” 

Contact Us