Jalen Kitna, former University of Florida quarterback, who was stopped in November 2022 for five child pornography charges which were later abandonedwill continue his college football career at UAB.
Kitna, the son of former NFL signal-caller Jon Kitna, will play under head coach Trent Dilfer, another former professional QB.
“Early headlines can be hard to ignore, even if they do not stand up to the scrutiny of the legal process over time,” Dilfer said in a statement to ESPN. “UAB and the Athletic Department have conducted extensive due diligence, and I have personally reviewed the facts of this matter and the thorough investigation, and have had frank conversations with Jalen and his parents . I firmly believe that Jalen has learned valuable lessons and will behave well and demonstrate great character as a member of our community. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be at UAB.”
Kitna issued his own statement to the world leader, saying he was “grateful for this opportunity.”
“I recognize that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from,” the sophomore said. “Accordingly, I have fulfilled my responsibility by pleading no contest to the misdemeanor charges of second-degree disorderly conduct related to these decisions.”
Shortly after his arrest, Kitna – who was serving as a backup for the Gators – was excluded from the program. In July, the charges were dropped… he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors – and Kitna served six months of probation.
His father and Dilfer were never teammates, but both started games for the Seattle Seahawks.
