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Caitlin Clark rallies behind fellow Iowa star George Kittle after injury

Caitlin Clark showed San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle love after a season-ending injury.
Grant Young|
Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark is just one of many notable former Iowa Hawkeyes alumni who are balling out at the professional level.

Of course, Kate Martin and Megan Gustafson also played under Lisa Bluder at Iowa and are currently in the WNBA. But aside from these three, the most notable former Hawkeye college athletes all play in the NFL.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean, who got a pick-six interception in last year's Super Bowl as a rookie, was at Iowa at the same time as Clark. And before these two, Iowa had numerous elite tight ends grace their field, including Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, and George Kittle.

Out of these players, only Kittle's San Francisco 49ers are still in the NFL Playoffs. However, they will have to play without their star tight end for the rest of this season, as Kittle suffered a torn Achilles during his team's January 11 game against the Eagles.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) gestures as he is carted off the field on January 11, 2026
Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) gestures as he is carted off the field after an injury during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark shows support for fellow George Kittle after Achilles injury

Kittle and his wife, Claire, have been supporters of Clark in the past, and Clark made an effort to greet them when they were sitting courtside at the Fever's road game against the Golden State Valkyries last August.

In the wake of his Achilles injury, Kittle made a January 12 Instagram post that showed him in the training room along with several other photos with the caption, "Football sucks sometimes. But I love it. I love these guys and this team. Heartbroken but have felt so much love and support from everyone reaching out. I’ll be good. Thank you. We aren’t done yet! Also when your team owner is the first person to meet you in the locker room, you know you’re in a special place. 🥃 cheers, all my love."

The post's top comment is from Clark, who wrote, "You’re gonna be back better than ever !!! We are proud of you!!!!!"

Clark's former teammate Kate Martin also left a message in the comments, saying, "Wishing for a speedy recovery!"

Among some other notable comments were Kittle's wife Claire saying, "I love you my Super hero! 👊🏼💪🏼," and NBA star James Harden writing, "Love bro! Get well soon."

It will be interesting to see whether Kittle's 49ers (who are dealing with many other injuries) can compete against division rival Seattle Seahawks this weekend. Given that Clark's Kansas City Chiefs aren't in the playoffs, perhaps she's now rooting for San Francisco.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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