49ers tight end George Kittle preps for games by reading letter from dad

MIAMI — George Kittle’s preparation for every game is exhaustive. There’s game film to watch, practice routes to run, hundreds of passes to catch, weights to lift and miles to run.

And his dad’s letter to read.

Before each game, Bruce Kittle writes a letter to his son, a tradition that goes back to George’s sophomore year at Iowa. And each week, the 49ers’ 26-year-old All-Pro tight end soaks in the words of encouragement.

“My dad was coaching at Oklahoma at the time, and he just wanted a way to stay in touch with me,” Kittle said Tuesday at the 49ers’ team hotel.

Bruce Kittle got the idea after hearing about former Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box, who received a letter from his father, Craig, before every game from the time Austin was in seventh grade. Sadly, Box’s story ended in tragedy; he died of a drug overdose at age 22 after becoming addicted to opioid painkillers after undergoing back surgery.

“He sadly died going into his senior year, but my dad figured it’s a way to keep in touch with me,” Kittle said. “With my dad being my best friend, I thought it was a great idea, too.”

What’s in the letters?

“All the lessons I’ve learned from my dad over the years,” Kittle said.

The letters usually arrive at the 49ers’ training complex on Saturday. Kittle will read them before game time on Sunday.

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “The letters went from handwritten one-page notes, to the NFC Championship Game [against the Packers] being a 10-page typed letter and a bunch of photos in it. He pulls stories from our childhood about movies we used to watch together, stuff like that. It’s all connected to the game, what I’m going through in life.”

Kittle’s talent, perseverance and work ethic are what have gotten him this far, but the letters of encouragement certainly help. And there is sure to be another special one in advance of Super Bowl LIV on Sunday against the Chiefs. Kittle certainly can be a big part of whether the 49ers can conquer the Chiefs. If his performance on game day is what it’s been through most of the season, then the 49ers will stand a chance against the Chiefs, who have won eight straight games, including playoff games against the Texans and Titans.

Kittle led the Niners with 85 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns, earning first-team All-Pro honors from The Associated Press. He’s big, he’s fast, he blocks, and he catches. Kittle does it all for the 49ers and has become quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s go-to guy in the passing game. The 49ers have used a heavy reliance on the running game in their playoff victories over the Vikings and Packers, but they may have to air it out against a Chiefs team that regularly puts up 30-plus points a game.

And don’t be surprised if this turns into a duel of the top two tight ends in football. Kittle’s counterpart on the Chiefs, Travis Kelce, is one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets.

Kittle is a longtime admirer of Kelce, and said the Chiefs’ tight end actually helps him be a better tight end.

“When we watch film on our iPads, there’s no sound, but you can feel the energy [Kelce] has when he plays football,” Kittle said. “I feel like that’s something you don’t see from every single guy. You can feel his energy, his passion, the fun, the love he has for his teammates. It’s not just the touchdowns, his red-zone ability, his catching ability, how he runs routes, whether it’s the run game or the pass game or blocking. Everything he does, he takes a lot of pride in. A guy like that, he makes your [team’s] life a lot easier.”

Same with Kittle, who makes the 49ers’ offense go most of the time and might need to come up with the game of a lifetime to win a Super Bowl ring for the first time.

He can’t wait to see what his dad has in store for this week’s missive.

"I have high expectations for this [letter] coming up,” Kittle said.

Rest assured it will cover a lot of ground.

And a lot of pages.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”