<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div><br></div><div><h1 class="storyheadline" style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 3.6em !important; line-height: 1.1em !important; font-family: Lato !important;">Former Hawkeye George Kittle nearly breaks NFL record</h1><div class="storydeckbottom" style="margin: 20px auto; padding: 0px; width: 250px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Lato; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: none !important;"></div><div class="storydeck" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Lato; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); max-width: 800px !important;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 1.8em !important; color: rgb(51, 51, 51) !important; line-height: 1.5em !important;">George Kittle came close to breaking an NFL record held by Hall of Famer, and shattered a 49ers franchise mark Sunday.</div></div><div class="clear" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: both; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Lato; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><div class="permalinkphotobox" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0px; max-width: 300px; float: right; min-width: 50%; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Lato; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-right: 0px !important; width: 50% !important;"><div class="photowrap" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; width: 431.5625px; max-width: 100%; position: relative;"><a class="modal-photosingle99004" href="https://dailyiowan.com/2018/12/09/former-hawkeye-george-kittle-nearly-breaks-nfl-record/#photo" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img alt="" class="catboxphoto feature-image" style="margin: 0px 0px -5px; 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padding: 0px;"></div></div><div class="storydetails" style="margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Lato; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;"><span class="storybyline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://dailyiowan.com/staff/?writer=Pete%20Ruden" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-decoration: none;">Pete Ruden</a>, Sports Editor</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="storydate" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">December 9, 2018</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="storycategory" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Filed under <a href="https://dailyiowan.com/category/sports/football/" rel="category tag" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-decoration: none;">Football</a>, <a href="https://dailyiowan.com/category/latest-news/" rel="category tag" style="margin: 0px; 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-webkit-transition: color 0.1s ease-in 0ms; transition: color 0.1s ease-in 0ms; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: rgb(64, 153, 255); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); opacity: 0.8; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px;"></div></a><a aria-hidden="true" data-remodal-target="modal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><div class="sharing-icon sno-email dashicons dashicons-email-alt sno-dark sharing-mobile-hide" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; padding: 4px 0px 6px; display: inline-block; width: 30px; height: 20px; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1; font-family: dashicons; vertical-align: top; text-align: center; -webkit-transition: color 0.1s ease-in 0ms; transition: color 0.1s ease-in 0ms; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: rgb(247, 204, 49); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); opacity: 0.8; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px;"></div></a></div><span class="storycontent" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Lato; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Former Iowa and current San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle nearly broke an NFL record in the 49ers’ win over the Denver Broncos Sunday – in one half.</div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">In the first half on San Francisco’s victory, Kittle hauled in 7 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, including an 85-yard catch-and-run touchdown, which marks the longest play of Kittle’s career. The 210 yards were just 4 shy of a record set by Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe for receiving yards by a tight end in a single game.</div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">In the second half, though, Kittle was held without a catch and finished just short of Sharpe’s record. Kittle still broke some 49ers franchise records, becoming the first San Francisco tight end to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season.</div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">In his record-breaking performance, Kittle almost racked up as many receiving yards as he had in his junior season at Iowa (290) and was just over 100 yards away from the mark he reached as a senior (314).</div></span></div></body></html>