On Monday, Claire Kittle, wife of San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle, gave football fans a behind-the-scenes look at Tight End University through a vibrant Instagram post.
Since its launch in 2021, the event has rapidly grown in popularity, bringing together NFL tight ends for a unique mix of learning, camaraderie, and fun. Kittle, along with Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen, created the event to help players hone their skills and build connections off the field.
This year’s gathering, which featured over 70 tight ends and guest appearances, was highlighted by ESPN’s “NFL Live” for the first time.
Claire Kittle Posts Photos from Tight End University
Claire Kittle’s Instagram post offered a glimpse into the energy and excitement of Tight End University. “@te_university class is in session 5th year seniors baby!!!” she captioned the 10-photo and video slideshow. The images featured her with her husband, as well as with fellow tight end Travis Kelce, Fox Sports broadcaster Greg Olsen, and Olsen’s wife, Kara Dooley.
Kittle, Kelce, and Olsen founded Tight End University to unite the tight end community through an immersive, three-day program.
According to the program’s website, attendees bond, collaborate, and learn from each other while taking part in film study, on-field drills, recovery, rehabilitation, and more.
The 2025 summit took place June 23–26 in Nashville, Tennessee, primarily on Vanderbilt University’s campus.
Rob Gronkowski was among the guests, and more than 70 tight ends from various NFL teams attended, including Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert, and Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
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In a recent interview, Olsen shared the story behind the event’s creation.
“It’s funny, everyone asks, like, ‘How did you guys come up with this idea?’” Olsen told NBC Sports’ Mike Florio last month. “It was literally a simple text message on a group message. I had retired after the (2020) season, so it was offseason of 2021 and Kittle and I had gotten to know each other a little bit and he texted me.
“He was like, ‘Hey, if you ever come down to Nashville, a bunch of tight ends spend the offseasons down here. We should do, like, a little tight end camp.’”
Kittle and Olsen then brought in Kelce, and expected only a handful of players to participate in the first year. However, the event quickly surpassed expectations.
“Little did we know, we were gonna have 75 tight ends ending up showing up in Nashville,” Olsen said. “The event has taken on a life of its own. … It’s a mix of fun and obviously you get Kelce and Kittle and all these guys in Nashville, we’ve been down to Broadway a couple times. And then, also, we do field work and classwork and we really get into the nitty gritty of the football world.”
