Quote · New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
George Kittle on Tight End Respect, Mike Evans on the 49ers, F*ck Dallas Shirt & TEU Recap | EP 197
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Welcome to the NFL Stories: Joe Staley's Bathroom Visit & Julius Peppers on Debut
At 1:01:50 · chapter starts 1:00:00
Jason prompts Kittle for a welcome-to-the-NFL moment and Kittle asks whether he wants the off-field or on-field version — then delivers both. [1] — George Kittle "In his rookie year OTAs, Kittle had been to only 3 Joe Staley interactions when the All-Pro tackle kicked open his bathroom stall mid-pee a…" 1:00:00 The off-field story is an instant classic: during rookie year OTAs, Kittle and fellow rookies regularly attended the equipment staff's Thursday night softball games, then headed to a bar called Cartoon Cartoons for karaoke. Joe Staley, the 10-year veteran, attended every game and turned out to be a karaoke genius who could sell a full bar on any song. One night, Kittle is mid-pee in a stall when the door gets kicked open by Staley demanding to share. Kittle politely offered to move over and later concluded this was Staley's way of showing he liked you. The on-field story is equally vivid: Kittle's first game ever was against Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Christian McCaffrey, and Julius Peppers. Staring at Cam Newton in full pads in the tunnel sent a jolt of awe through him. Then on one of his first plays he had one-on-one pass protection against Julius Peppers — the guy he'd played in Madden 2006 — got thrown to the ground, then actually blocked him on the next attempt.
In his rookie year OTAs, Kittle had been to only 3 Joe Staley interactions when the All-Pro tackle kicked open his bathroom stall mid-pee and demanded to share. Kittle's response: 'I'll move over, Mr. Joe Staley.' He took it as a sign Staley liked him.
