Former University of Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, who was arrested in November 2022 on five child pornography charges which were later dropped, will continue his college football career at UAB.
Kitna, the son of ex-NFL signal-caller Jon Kitna, will play under head coach Trent Dilfer, another former pro QB.
“Initial headlines can be hard to get past, even if they don’t hold up to the scrutiny of the legal process over time,” Dilfer said in a statement to ESPN. “UAB and the Department of Athletics have performed extensive due diligence, and I have personally looked at the facts of this case and the thorough investigation, and I’ve had candid conversations with Jalen and his parents. I firmly believe Jalen learned valuable lessons and will carry himself well and show great character as a member of our community. Otherwise, he would not be at UAB.”
Kitna offered a statement of his own to the World Wide Leader, claiming he is “grateful for the opportunity.”
“I acknowledge that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from,” the sophomore said. “As a result, I took responsibility by pleading no-contest to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges related to those decisions.”
Shortly after his arrest, Kitna — who served as the Gators’ backup — was dismissed from the program. In July, the charges were dropped — he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors — and Kitna served six months’ probation.
His father and Dilfer were never teammates, but both started games for the Seattle Seahawks.
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