Tag: Jalen Kitna

Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Elijah Rodriguez (52) gets a hand on Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles

Former Florida QB Jalen Kitna transferring to UAB

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna has committed to join coach Trent Dilfer’s program at UAB, ESPN reported Saturday.

Kitna was kicked off the team at Florida in November 2022 after an arrest on felony charges that were later dropped.

Kitna was facing five felony counts of possessing and distributing child pornography before agreeing to a plea deal in July. He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct.

He avoided jail time and was placed on six months of probation for each count. He did not have to register as a sex offender.

Dilfer and UAB athletic director Mark Ingram told ESPN that “extensive due diligence” was done while reviewing Kitna’s application to the school.

A university spokesperson told ESPN that Kitna has been admitted to the school and will be on the Birmingham, Ala., campus next week for an official visit.

In a statement to ESPN published Saturday, Kitna said he was “grateful for the opportunity” at UAB.

“I acknowledge that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from,” he said. “As a result, I took responsibility by pleading no-contest to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges related to those decisions.”

Kitna, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, said he weighed “multiple offers” before choosing to play for the Blazers.

“I firmly believe that UAB is the perfect fit for me,” the 6-foot-4 sophomore told ESPN. “I consider myself fortunate to be in Birmingham, surrounded by an incredible support system, having found a church family, and being able to take advantage of the numerous resources offered by the university.”

Kitna was the backup to eventual NFL first-round pick Anthony Richardson at Florida in 2022. He appeared in four games for the Gators and threw for 181 yards and one touchdown.

Kitna was a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class coming out of Burleson, Texas. He was ranked as the No. 55 quarterback in the country by the 247 Sports composite.

–Field Level Media

Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Elijah Rodriguez (52) gets a hand on Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles

QB Jalen Kitna in portal after child porn charges dropped

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna entered the transfer portal on Monday.

Kitna was facing five felony counts of possessing and distributing child pornography but saw them dropped as part of a plea deal last Wednesday.

Kitna instead pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct in a court appearance in Alachua County, Fla., before Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Susan Miller-Jones.

He avoided jail time and does not have to register as a sex offender. He was placed on six months’ probation for each count, though it could be reduced to six months overall for good behavior.

Kitna was arrested Nov. 30 and was kicked off the team and banned from the Florida campus days later. His ban runs through November 2025.

Kitna, the son of retired NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, was the backup to eventual NFL first-round pick Anthony Richardson last year. He appeared in four games for Florida and threw for 181 yards and one touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Elijah Rodriguez (52) gets a hand on Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles

Jalen Kitna has 5 felony child porn charges dropped

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, the son of retired and longtime NFL QB Jon Kitna, had five felony child pornography charges dropped Wednesday in a plea deal.

Jalen Kitna pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct in a court appearance Wednesday in Alachua County, Fla., before Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Susan Miller-Jones.

He had been charged with five counts of possessing and distributing child pornography.

Jalen Kitna gets no jail time and no fine and does not have to register as a sex offender. He was placed on six months’ probation for each count, though it could be reduced to six months overall for good behavior.

Jalen Kitna apologized to his “family, my friends and those that care about me.”

“Watching how this has affected the ones closest to me has been the most difficult during this process,” Jalen Kitna said from a prepared statement in court. “I’ve learned some very valuable lessons. I will apply these lessons to my life moving forward. With my family’s support and love, I am thankful I can now put this behind me.”

Jalen Kitna was arrested Nov. 30 and was kicked off the team and banned from the Florida campus days later. His ban runs through November 2025.

According to the Gainesville Police Department, police executed a search warrant on Kitna’s residence after receiving a tip that a Discord user at the address had shared an image of child sexual abuse through its platform. Kitna told police he remembered sharing two images but believed them to be legal since he found them online.

“What we’ve got here today is a result that’s fair, and the right result,” Jalen Kitna’s attorney, Ron Kozlowski, said after the verdict. “Obviously, the state agrees, and we feel good about that. This is going to give Jalen an opportunity to move on to the next step, whatever that is.”

Jon Kitna played in 141 games in the NFL from 1997-2011 with four teams, most notably the Seattle Seahawks (1997-2000) and Cincinnati Bengals (2001-05).

–Field Level Media

Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) motions before the snap during the second half against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles

Florida removes QB Jalen Kitna from roster following charges

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida has removed quarterback Jalen Kitna from the roster following his arrest on child pornography charges.

The son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, he was arrested Wednesday and jailed on five counts of possessing and distributing child pornography. He was immediately suspended from the team.

His parents posted an $80,000 bond on Thursday to secure his release from Alachua County Jail. Jon and Jennifer Kitna assured Judge Meshon T. Rawls of the Eighth Judicial Circuit that their son would be in their custody and that he would return to the court for all subsequent proceedings.

Kitna, 19, was to return to his parents’ home in Burleson, Texas, where he played high school football. The judge barred him from using the internet or having unsupervised contact with minors.

While his parents were in court for Thursday’s hearing, Kitna appeared via closed-circuit video. He was wearing a suicide-prevention vest instead of a standard jail uniform and at one point cried as he buried his face in his hands during the proceedings.

He faces two second-degree felony charges for distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography, which are third-degree felonies.

According to the Gainesville Police Department, police executed a search warrant on Kitna’s residence after receiving a tip that a Discord user at the address had shared an image of child sexual abuse through its platform. Kitna told police he remembered sharing two images but believed them to be legal since he found them online.

In a news release, the department said, “Kitna advised that he realized he should not have shared those two images, based on the reaction from the other Discord user that he shared them with.”

Kitna appeared in four games this season for the Gators, throwing for 181 yards and a touchdown behind starting QB Anthony Richardson.

–Field Level Media

Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Elijah Rodriguez (52) gets a hand on Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles

Gators backup QB Jalen Kitna arrested on child porn charges

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida Gators backup quarterback Jalen Kitna, son of former NFL QB Jon Kitna, was arrested Wednesday on five counts of possessing and distributing child pornography.

Kitna, 19, was booked into the Alachua County Jail on Wednesday afternoon and immediately suspended indefinitely from the team.

“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna,” the university said in a statement. “These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior.”

According to the Gainesville Police Department (GPD), police executed a search warrant on Kitna’s residence after receiving a tip that a Discord user at the address had shared an image of child sexual abuse through its platform. Kitna told police he remembered sharing two images but believed them to be legal since he found them online.

In a news release, the GPD said, “Kitna advised that he realized he should not have shared those two images, based on the reaction from the other Discord user that he shared them with.”

GPD said they confiscated Kitna’s electronic devices and found an additional three images.

He was then arrested on two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possessing child pornography.

Kitna appeared in four games this season, throwing for 181 yards and a touchdown behind starting QB Anthony Richardson.

Jon Kitna played in the NFL for 14 seasons (1997-2011) for four teams. He is currently head coach and athletic coordinator at Burleson High School in Burleson, Texas.

–Field Level Media