Jalen Kitna, son of former Bengals QB, participates in team's pre-draft workout
Apr. 14—The first NFL game Jalen Kitna attended was at Paul Brown Stadium when he was too young to remember watching his dad play quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. On Tuesday, that all came full circle when the NFL draft prospect and former University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) quarterback put on a Bengals' No.
3 practice jersey — just like his dad, current Lakota East High School coach Jon Kitna, wore for the Bengals from 2001 through 2005 — and took the field at what is now Paycor Stadium. Jalen Kitna, who was born in 2003, was among a group of about 32 participants at the Bengals' annual local players' pre-draft workout Tuesday. "It's obviously a great feeling getting to wear the number and just be out here," Jalen said.
"I mean, just any opportunities I'm super thankful for, but especially just getting to have this special opportunity and get to do something that we have some history and it is really special and I'm super thankful for that. " Jalen bounced around as a youth because of his dad's NFL career, which included stints with the Detroit Lions (2006-08) and Dallas Cowboys (2009-11, 2013), before Jon Kitna became a high school coach. After attending four different high schools in Texas and Arizona, Jalen began his college career at Florida but had to find a new landing spot after two seasons.
Then-Gators coach Billy Napier kicked him off the team after he was arrested in Nov. 2022 on child pornography charges that eventually were dropped in a plea deal. Jalen pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace, as investigators determined the images he had shared on a social media platform did not meet the criteria for the initial charges.
Jalen was picked up by UAB in 2024 and threw for 4,671 yards and 30 touchdowns with 21 interceptions over 18 games in two seasons. Questions about his arrest still follow him, especially as teams are doing their research into players' backgrounds. "If there's been any questions, I got to answer them and just really tell the truth about what happened, and I've been thankful to do that," Jalen said.