Tight end George Kittle has played a significant, and perhaps unexpected, role for Iowa this season.
By Ryan Rodriguez
2015 has been a season chock-full of surprises for the Iowa football team.
Success despite a whole slew of injuries has kept the roster fluid throughout the season. Oddly enough, injuries have also opened the doors to one of the biggest developments of the season — the emergence of tight end George Kittle.
Once seen as a stopgap until senior Jake Duzey got back to fighting strength, Kittle has developed into one of the most dynamic offensive threats on the team in his time as a starter.
“It just seems like every time he touches the ball, good things happen,” quarterback C.J. Beathard said. “That’s a good thing to have, and he’s really done a great job of stepping up for us this year.”
Kittle, a junior, has seen action in almost every game of his Iowa career up to this point, but his role on the team has increased dramatically. In eight games, he’s had 9 catches for 136 yards and 4 touchdowns while Duzey continues to rehab after off-season knee surgery.
He and fellow tight end Henry Krieger Coble have shouldered the load well in his absence; however, the speedier, more athletic Kittle has emerged as a legitimate downfield threat who has helped to catalyze the Iowa offense the last three weeks.
A converted receiver, Kittle’s speed and athleticism has given the Iowa offense another dimension and one few outside the team saw coming six weeks ago.
“They throw me some gadget plays every once in a while, and luckily, C.J. found me on a few of them,” Kittle said. “I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity, and I’ve had the good fortune of being able to catch a few of them.”
Kittle’s athleticism was on display last week against Indiana, catching a 1-yard out from Beathard before going airborne to hurdle a defender at the goal line in the second quarter.
After going 31-straight appearances without a touchdown, Kittle now has one in two-straight games, and he is tied for the team’s lead in touchdown catches.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “Pretty much all I did in high school was run go-balls, and now that I get a catch on 20-yard passes and get to catch and run, it’s been a lot of fun.”
Kittle’s play has made fans notice, no doubt. It’s always been there, too. Talk to any Iowa football player about watching Kittle in practice, and the words “athletic freak” pop up pretty frequently.
But there’s more than just natural ability at work here. Kittle’s commitment to better blocking and fundamentals on the line of scrimmage are as much to thank for his emergence this year as his vertical or 40-yard dash time.
“I know in years past, he maybe wasn’t the best as a blocker, but I know this year he’s really worked on getting better at that,” running back LeShun Daniels Jr. said. “With his ability to be on the field and stretch it vertically as a tight end, I really think it helps open up our offense.”
While it may have come about because of unfortunate circumstances for the Hawks, the development of Kittle at tight end has without a doubt been one of this season’s biggest bright spots.
His progression has meant as much to the Iowa offense this year as anything.
“It’s unfortunate that Jake got hurt, but I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity,” Kittle said. “Someone always has to step up, and I’m happy I got that chance this season.”
