Who Is George Kittle's Wife? All About Claire Kittle

George Kittle and Claire Kittle started dating during their freshman year at the University of Iowa and have been married since 2019

George Kittle has found a teammate for life.

The San Francisco 49ers tight end has been married to his wife, Claire Kittle, since 2019, whom he met as a freshman at the University of Iowa. The couple eloped after getting engaged in 2018 and now live in Nashville, Tennessee, during the NFL offseason. They share one puppy together — a Bernedoodle named Deenie.

Claire is a huge supporter of the four-time Pro Bowler, attending every one of his games — home or away.

"G you are a constant inspiration to me & everyone around you," she wrote on Instagram after the 49ers lost the NFC Championship game to the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 30, 2022. "The love you have for this game is so admirable...You're my super hero and I'll always be rooting for you."

Ahead of George's appearance in the 2024 Super Bowl, which saw the 49ers ultimately lose after once again facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game, Claire opened up to PEOPLE in February about how her husband "manifested" his way back and how excited she was to support him there.

"I don't know if you saw the clip of him from our Super Bowl run in Miami when he said, 'I'll be back,' " she said. "It's an emotional and cool clip. So the fact that he manifested that and this team was able to get back to that position is something you cherish forever."

She added, "It doesn't happen to everybody. And we're really blessed and just so excited to be in this position and have this opportunity again."

So, who is George Kittle's wife? Here's everything to know about Claire Kittle, the Iowa native married to the 49ers star.

She and George met while attending the University of Iowa

Claire and George first crossed paths in 2012 at the University of Iowa when they both were freshmen. George was standing outside his dormitory with his roommate when he saw Claire in the parking lot. But, according to the tight end, it wasn't exactly love at first sight.

"I saw her and I was like, 'Goddamn, who is that?' " George recalled in his 2018 proposal video. "He was like, 'Oh, that's Claire. Actually, one of my friends says she's a total b----.' "

But, George said he wanted to "find out for myself," so he went up to her and commented on her bright pink moped helmet. After that, the football player spent the next eight months in the "friend zone" before the two began dating.

She's an athlete like George

Claire played basketball throughout her time at Wahlert Catholic High School, becoming the school's third all-time leading scorer and a McDonald's All-American nominee. At the University of Iowa, she played for the Hawkeyes all four years, averaging 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

Unfortunately, a recurring knee injury ended her career during her senior year of college — but, according to the forward, it's something she wouldn't change.

"Without awful knees I know I would have accomplished more on the basketball court, but because of the trials my knees brought, I am the strongest person I know," Claire wrote on her blog, Letty Set Go, in 2017. "Life can get you pretty down from time to time but it's never the end. Make a goal, see it happen and work your butt off to make it a reality. The pits make the peaks that much sweeter."

The 49ers were involved in her engagement

When George decided he wanted to propose on August 10th, 2018, he knew he needed a convincing cover story. So, he told her that the 49ers staff was doing a piece on couples in the NFL, and would follow them with photographers to shoot candid moments.

But, the night before the proposal, George hurt his knee in a preseason game. When he began trying hard to make his rehab work around the photo shoot, Claire got suspicious, so it was up to his mother, Jan, to throw her off the scent.

"As I was getting ready, she came into the room and said, 'Claire, I know you might be thinking that he's going to propose, but I know for a fact that he isn't because the ring isn't ready yet,' " she recalled on her blog. "When she told me this, I was instantly sad and a little disappointed. I thought this would be the most opportune time for him to do it."

And when the couple showed up to Santa Cruz's Twin Lakes State Beach with photographers, videographers, lighting staff and drones from the 49ers media team, Claire was none the wiser.

"The photographer finally said, 'Now, I want you to turn around and face George,' " she wrote. So, I turn around and there he is … down on one knee and looking as handsome as ever!I had the biggest smile on my face and I literally couldn't believe what was happening! Then, he said, 'Claire Bear, I think it's been long enough, will you marry me?' It was such a George thing to say, and it was absolutely perfect!"

She and George eloped in April 2019

George and Claire shocked fans when they posted their out-of-the-blue nuptials in April 2019. And, according to Claire, the ceremony was a bit of a surprise to the couple as well.

"I had always looked up to those people who ran away and eloped or just walked right up to the courthouse and left married. Thought it was so cool!" Claire wrote of the ceremony in 2019. "We knew football was starting up again and Lord knows nothing but football gets done during football season. So we pulled the trigger and planned this wedding in a week!"

The couple held their ceremony at a family friend's jewelry store in Iowa City, in honor of a promise ring George got for her from the shop after he was drafted in 2017. To commemorate the occasion, the store also outfitted Claire, her mom Shelley, George's mom Jan and his sister Emma with tons of bling, including diamond necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

George's father, Bruce, married the couple in an intimate ceremony with only immediate family in attendance. Afterwards, the group celebrated with guitar music by Claire's brother Riley and matching "C" and "G" cookies.

On April 10, 2023, Claire celebrated their fourth anniversary with a romantic Instagram post. She shared photos of the pair on their wedding day as well as on their 2022 ceremony.

"This doing life with your bestfriend thing is where it's at!" Claire wrote in the caption. "Through the highs and lows we face in this life we always choose love. I think that's the greatest thing, to love & be loved no matter what."

She and George got married again in April 2021

The couple originally planned to hold a larger party for friends and family in Italy in June 2020, but it was put on hold due to the pandemic. So, exactly two years after they eloped, George and Claire "brought Italy home" in a romantic backyard wedding held at their Nashville home.

Due to forecasted rain, the couple and their 32 guests were moved into a tent for the reception. Claire wore a sleeveless trumpet gown with lace detailing, while George sported a black tuxedo with a red handkerchief.

She had an ectopic pregnancy

Claire revealed that she had an ectopic pregnancy in an Instagram post shared on Feb. 14, 2023.

"On Christmas morning George and I took a pregnancy test while the rest of our family waited to open presents downstairs," she wrote in the caption. "We were about to see the greatest gift, a positive test."

She included photos of her and George kissing in front of a Christmas tree, a snap of her positive pregnancy test as well as a video of George telling their family that they were expecting.

In the caption, Claire noted that she learned that the pregnancy was ectopic during a doctor's appointment weeks later.

"Fast forward to Jan 10th I had a routine ultrasound putting me right around 7.5 weeks pregnant. The nurse giving my ultra sound went silent for awhile and I asked 'I'm still early there's probably nothing to see yet right?' " she wrote. "She responded with 'I see a pregnancy here it's just not in the correct place, it's ectopic…' I felt my soul leave my body as I knew exactly what that meant."

She recalled deciding to go into surgery that night and ended the post by recognizing her husband and family. "We leaned on each other like we never have before," she wrote of George. "Im thankful my mom, dad and Georges parents were all here to help us."

She's passionate about fitness and bodybuilding

While she and George lived in Iowa City, Claire ran a personal training business called Claire Till Fitness and taught barre classes, according to her LinkedIn. And, in 2018, she entered her first bikini fitness competition, training for 19 weeks and ultimately losing 20 pounds for the show.

"I left that venue with a sense of accomplishment and I was damn proud of myself," she wrote at the time. "I may not have ended up #1, but that's not the point. I gave it my all and learned an incredible amount through the process. In the end the big takeaways I learned are to never sell yourself short, never say I can't and do not ever let your sense of self worth be based on the opinions of others."

Now, she and George stay active together in their garage home gym.

She and George live in Nashville during the offseason

Both Iowa natives, Claire and George don't live in the Bay Area full-time. When George isn't playing for the 49ers, the couple (along with their Bernedoodle, Deenie), reside in Nashville, Tennessee to be closer to family.

After selling the first home they owned together, George and Claire moved into a brand-new space in April 2022.

She and George love comic books and video games

The couple shares a love for all things nerdy, dressing up as different comic book and video game characters each year for Halloween. In the past, they've been Spiderman, Halo's Master Chief and Cortana and Batman and Catwoman, to name a few. George even got a tattoo of his football alters ego, the Joker, on his forearm the day before his 2019 wedding.

She's supportive of George's backyard golfing

After watching the Masters tournament in 2021, George revealed that he and a friend were inspired to mow a six-hole golf course into his 75-acre property. But Claire didn't need much convincing, either.

"It might have been her idea too," he noted in an April 2022 episode of the I Am Athlete podcast. "She's like, 'Why aren't you guys outside golfing?' Why are we inside? It's a beautiful day.' [My friend and I] looked at each other and we're like, 'That's a good idea! Let's hop on the mower.' "

"It's an absolute blast," he added.

She loves to throw a party

In July 2023, George and Claire hosted KittleFest at their home in Nashville. According to Instagram, the small backyard music festival included performances by Jelly Roll, Tyler Rich and Whelan Stone. The night ended with bottle service at "Club Kittle," a.k.a. the couple's garage.

A few months later, Claire threw George a 30th birthday party in California. She decorated their home with all of her husband's favorite things — sneakers, superheroes and video games.

"Happy Birthday to my favorite human on this planet @gkittle I love you more than I ever have and I love this life we’ve created together," she wrote on Instagram. "Thanks for loving me beyond what I can comprehend. I’m obsessed with you, ya 30 year old."

She and George sometimes wear matching outfits

The Kittles had matching game-day fits for the 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers playoff game in January 2024. The couple wore custom Levi's jeans and jackets adorned with drawings of their favorite things, as well as sentimental names and dates.

However, Claire also has an eye for her individual style as she supports George in the stadium. She told PEOPLE in February 2024 that she keeps an eye out for individual pieces that "stand out."

"I look for pieces that stand out to me and if I love them, I know that at some point throughout the season, I'm going to put a look together with it," she said of her inspiration for her game day looks.

"So it's not necessarily created look to look," she added. "I kind of just keep my eyes peeled for what finds me and what I love and then I try to create a look out of that one piece."

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