49ers Star’s Viral T-Shirt Boosts Columbia B-School Project

  • MBA student says he mailed apparel to four NFL playoff teams
  • Shirt blew up online when George Kittle wore it in interviews

George Kittle wears a shirt showing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as he speaks at a news conference in Santa Clara, California on Jan. 19.

Photographer: Ben Margot/AP Photo

Shortly after the San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to the Super Bowl, tight end George Kittle appeared in the locker room wearing a unique outfit.

It wasn’t his No. 85 uniform, nor the customary “NFC Champions” apparel that’s ubiquitous on sidelines. Instead it was a large white T-shirt, with a shirtless photo of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. It looked low-budget, like it was printed at home, and it instantly went viral online and on social media.