Two members of the San Francisco 49ers watched the NCAA women's tournament national championship game very closely on Sunday. Niners players Deebo Samuel and George Kittle made a special bet on the game, per the USA Today. The loser of the bet will have to wear the opposing basketball team's jersey before a 49ers game next season.
Iowa and South Carolina meet in the women's basketball national championship on Sunday. That makes the game extra special for the 49ers' offensive players Samuel and Kittle. The wide receiver Samuel played his college football at South Carolina in the SEC, while the tight end Kittle played for Iowa in the Big Ten.
National championship game
Sunday's game marked the end of a truly special season in women's college basketball. Iowa women's basketball has found a true star in Caitlin Clark, and viewers have tuned into the games in record numbers. Clark and the Hawkeyes stormed past several teams to get to the title game, including last year's champion LSU. Only South Carolina stood in the way from a national championship for Iowa. South Carolina is led by Coach Dawn Staley, who has won two national championships with the Gamecocks.
“Coach Staley been had things going for a while, so I’ve got all the hope for her,” Samuel said, per Bleacher Report. “I’m pretty sure like 99.9%. George Kittle, I hope you’re hearing this. This is gonna be a dub.”
Kittle certainly feels differently. It's fun to see the two 49ers teammates get into the spirit of the game. Both players played key roles in the 49ers offense this past season, helping the team reach the Super Bowl. Samuel finished the year with 60 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. He's played with the team since 2019, and had a career-high 1,405 yard receiving season in 2021.
Kittle had 65 catches for 1,020 yards in 2023 for the 49ers. He has played with the team since 2017, and has more than 6,000 career receiving yards. He has scored 37 touchdowns in his career, including 11 during the 2022 season, which was a career-high.
The 49ers made the Super Bowl with Kittle and Samuel leading the team's receiving corps, but the team ended up bowing in the big game to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers for the second time in the last four Super Bowl championship games, 25-22 in overtime.
The national championship in women's college basketball is ongoing at the time of writing. The game tipped off at 3:00 Eastern on Sunday. Only one of these 49ers players will be getting good news at the end of the game.
Deebo Samuel's message for George Kittle after South Carolina's title win
Sure enough, after South Carolina took down Iowa in the finale, Samuel's quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to troll his 49ers teammate and remind him of their bet.
“[George Kittle] week 1 outfit gone be so clean on you!!!!”
Now, we can't wait for the opening week of the 2024 NFL Season. Whatever the two bet for one to wear, it's sure to make headlines.
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