Why George Kittle wants to channel his inner Joker on 49ers game days

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George Kittle is an agent of chaos.

At least, that's his goal on the football field.

The 49ers' fun-loving star tight end took the NFL by storm last season, racking up 88 catches and 1,377 yards, an NFL single-season record for tight ends.

Kittle's rise to NFL stardom is a credit to his athletic gifts, his work ethic and, at least partly, his favorite comic-book villain. 

The Iowa product is a huge Batman fan, and he does his best to make the Dark Knight's archnemesis -- the Joker -- his gridiron alter-ego.

"I don't try to channel all the Joker, obviously, because he has some issues," Kittle told ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "Creating a little bit of chaos is just kind of what I try to do. I'm just trying to be the most outgoing, craziest person on the field."

Don't you want to know how Kittle got those yards?

The All-Pro tight end loves the Clown Prince of Gotham so much, in fact, he got a tattoo of the Joker on his forearm the day before his wedding. 

"He's so goofy," Kittle's wife Claire told Wagoner. "At first, I thought he was joking -- he has a lot of ideas that are out there and he doesn't actually go through with them. So at first, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that's the worst idea you've ever had. I hate that.'

"But then after he had explained to me all of the meaning behind it and then seeing it in person, it's actually really cool. So I do really like it now. That's just George."

[RELATED: Why joint practices with Broncos are crucial for 49ers]

As Kittle and the 49ers prepare to embark on the 2019 campaign, the star tight end is hoping to introduce a little anarchy to the NFC West, upset the established order in the conference and make everything a little chaotic.

The 49ers suffered a brutal 2018 campaign after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the season when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 against the Chiefs. They went on to limp to a 4-12 record with Kittle being the lone bright spot in the campaign.

Kittle and the 49ers now can look to an iconic speech from Mark Hamill's Joker in famed "Batman: The Animated Series" episode "The Man Who Killed Batman."

"But I digress. The time for sorrow is over. It's time to look to a future filled with smiles."

And wins, the 49ers hope.

"Well, that was fun ... who's for Chinese?"

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