Claudia CollinsOver the past few ASU football seasons, Jada Kitna has been working on the sidelines at Sun Devil Football games. She’s the daughter of former NFL quarterback, Jon Kitna. Despite growing up around the game, she never expected she’d work for a Division I college football team one day.
Kitna grew up going to her dads’ football games every Sunday.
“Having five brothers that they all played football and we were always taking them to practice,” Kitna said.
It’s a family affair 🤞🏽 pic.twitter.com/spokLLQgLZ
— Jada Henderson (@JadaHenderson77) September 24, 2020
While her brothers were interested in football, Kitna was more interested in the arts. As a kid she grew up learning photography, painting, and drawing. Her true love for football came a little later in life. Her dad eventually began coaching at his alma mater in Tacoma, Washington. At the time, one of Kitna’s brothers was playing football there as well.
“I was just sitting there at practice one day and my dad was like here we’ll just have you spot the ball and then just move it wherever they run to,” Kitna said.
She caught on to the game quickly and began to enjoy being a part of the game. It wasn’t until one of her brothers began playing football at TCU that she found out she could do the same job when she got to college.
“I was like oh, you get paid to do something that’s fun that I already like to do,” Kitna said.
Her first equipment staff gig was at TCU but after one year she transferred to ASU and began working for Sun Devil Football. 
Despite being the only girl on the equipment staff, Kitna has thrived in the position. This past year her brother inspired her to combine her passions for art and football after he asked her to paint a pair of his track spikes. While many businesses were struggling in 2020, Jada’s gained its’ foothold.
“Then I made my dad a pair for his games,” said Kitna.
Soon people began to notice the shoes she painted and making their own custom orders.
🌿 PÖĮŚÔÑ 🌿
This Poison Dart Frog AF1 is one of several designs I created as part of my “endangered series” that I hoped to eventually collab with Nike & WWF to create. If it ever comes to pass I’d love for the proceeds to go towards @wwf & it’s conservation efforts! pic.twitter.com/KzzRLExzvK
— Jada Henderson (@JadaHenderson77) February 24, 2021
https://twitter.com/JadaKitna/status/1362556089116602369
Her biggest project was for the ASU Football staff, she spent several months painting 32 shoes. While they were all a part of the same line some coaches asked to have a small personal touch.
— Jada Henderson (@JadaHenderson77) January 28, 2021
“It was just something I could do for the coaches that is specific to me,” said Kitna.
With graduation around the corner, Jada’s shoe business is thriving but she’s not ready to give up working in equipment either.
“I would love to do both, I would love to paint shoes full-time and I would love to do equipment and have that be my full-time job,” Kitna said.
She sells her custom shoes on http://jadafromtheblock.com
