As the lore of California’s Death Row fades into obscurity, the nation’s strongest athletes haven’t forgotten the reputation of the toughest criminals in the state. That reputation was perpetuated by future Hall of Famer George Kittle.

When he visited Death Row in 2016, he was intimidated so much by the men on Death Row that he denied what position he played.

Kittle was interviewed afterward by Teri Rodriquez of NBC Sports Bay Area about his first visit to San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.

“So we go onto Death Row, and this [Death Row resident] guy’s like ‘Oh, the football players are here. Which one of you is the tight end because I’m going to get up in that #!*,” Kittle said.

Instinctively, Kittle made a choice to avoid revealing his true occupation. “And I was like. ‘I play linebacker.’ Absolutely not. I’m OK,” Kittle said.

Kittle’s comments and memories of his visit to San Quentin were noted on the podcast Bussin’ with the Boys.

Reporter David Bonilla, during Kittle’s appearance on the podcast, asked what Kittle would be willing to do to win a Super Bowl.

Kittle responded that he would bite someone’s ear off, or even cut off his pinky; a la Ronnie Lott. He then said he would even be willing to go to prison for a year if it meant a sixth Super Bowl victory for the 49ers. But he did set one limitation: that he would never return to San Quentin.

Kittle’s fear was the result of a visit to San Quentin State Prison during his rookie year.

“My rookie year, they made all the rookies go to San Quentin,” Kittle told Rodriquez. “We go into Death Row area during a tour, and as soon as we get through security, they’re [the guards are] like, ‘Just letting you know, if there’s a riot, there’s nothing we can do for you.’”

Kittle’s famously vivid imagination was substantiated by the harassment about being a tight end, which allowed Bonilla to conclude, “Everyone has to draw a line somewhere, and Kittle made the line clear this week.”

In spite of Kittle’s traumatizing prison experience on Death Row, the 49ers continue to host their annual gift giving and Q & A sessions at the prison during the holidays. 

The event is led by the York family, who own the 49ers, and a host of their players, who continue to support recovery and rehabilitation.

The team donates money, time and gifts to SQRC’s annual Christmas drive, which enables randomly selected incarcerated residents and their families the chance to celebrate Christmas with gifts wrapped for their kids while the residents’ families celebrate with the team.