Fresh off signing a three-year, $54 million extension in June, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. appeared at Phipps Plaza for the free Adidas Fan Fest on Wednesday.
Heading into his sixth season in the NFL, all with the Falcons, Pitts talked about fútbol during his Q&A with professional fútbol freestyler Frankie Flow. Flow was honored to interview Pitts.
“I love the NFL and the Falcons,” Flow said. “When Michael Vick was the quarterback, he was somebody I admired, and seeing Kyle Pitts was awesome. We wear the same jersey number, and he’s an Adidas athlete who gets to go to World Cup games.”
The 25-year-old tight end talked about his admiration for how soccer fans support their teams and players, such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Pitts told Flow that he plans to sport Messi’s signature Adidas F50 cleats in a game one day.
Pitts also said he respects the endurance of soccer players and Messi’s longevity. He compared Messi, who recently turned 39 years old, to former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
Pitts has also developed a reputation for endurance and durability during his NFL career, playing all 17 games in four of his first five seasons. Last season, Pitts had a career-high 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns.
Soccer has been an escape for Pitts this offseason, with the Falcons’ first full-team training camp practice on July 29 quickly approaching.
He also said he was heading to the Argentina-England semifinal on Wednesday, which will be the last game hosted in Atlanta during this year’s World Cup, after his appearance at Adidas Fan Fest. Pitts also attended Cape Verde’s scoreless draw against Spain during the World Cup group stage in June.
After his Q&A concluded, Pitts headed over to greet fans waiting in line for the meet-and-greet. Fans sported Pitts and Drake London jerseys as they waited for their turn. Pitts ended the day by hugging or dapping up fans before taking pictures with them and signing autographs.
