Kyle Juszczyk’s life changed when he started living mostly off the land.
The 49ers fullback spends most of his off days in his gardens — indoor and outdoor — at his and wife Kristin’s home in San Jose, Ca.
“It always kind of catches people by surprise,” Juszczyk told The Post of his passion for gardening, which was passed down from his mother when he was a young child. “I always make it a point to go into my garden on my off days and get my hands in the dirt and really just take a second to put the phones down, feel the earth, get involved.”
Juszczyk, 33, spoke with The Post on behalf of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, which is a staple within his clean diet and a great source for potassium.
Soon, he’ll be planting his own pomegranate trees, as he and Kristin — a fashion designer, who’s created pieces for Taylor Swift, Simone Biles and more — are adding a small orchard to their plot of land.
The couple, who wed in 2019, have turned their joint health journey into a lifestyle.
“I think it really has made a big difference in my health and being able to play as long as I have,” the NFL veteran said since abandoning store-bought vegetables, among other things.
“I’m in year 12 in the NFL at one of the most physical positions on the field and I feel incredible. I feel like I’m 25 out there. A lot of that is because of what I put into my body, POM Juice has been incredible antioxidant for me. It’s just is one ingredient.”
Juszczyk, who earned his eighth Pro Bowl nod in 2023, explained his indoor hydroponic garden has been a game-changer for growing his root vegetables, such as carrots, peppers, garlic and potatoes, for the last eight years.
“Everything is literally growing on water and lights and I can do that year round, the seasons don’t matter,” he said. “It’s easiest to maintain in season just because I’m not out there every day.”
Another life-changing moment occurred for the couple when Kristin’s hand-crafted NFL gear caught the attention of Swift last season.
The brunette beauty quickly garnered fame — and reached over one million Instagram followers in February — when Swift, who’s dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, wore a custom puffer jacket to the Chiefs-Dolphins wild-card game in January.
That month, Kristin reached a licensing deal with the NFL, which allowed her to use the league logo in men’s and women’s apparel designs.
She also designed a custom puffer jacket for Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which the KC Current co-owner wore to the wild-card game, as seen in photos of her and Swift.
Juszczyk explained that his wife was ready for the moment, and gushed over how well she’s handled her newfound fame.
“I mean, that’s the crazy thing is that for years she was working on these game day outfits for herself, and then last season is when she really started to make these outfits for other people for different celebrities and stuff,” Juszczyk said. “And we all know about the meteoric rise with Taylor Swift that really did put it over the top.
“It seems like it’s overnight, but she was been doing this for years. It was kind of that one thing that made everyone else notice. She always says, it’s matching preparation with luck. She was very well prepared for that moment and she was very lucky that she was able to get that jacket into Taylor Swift’s hands for such a big game too that all eyes were on her. We’re so fortunate for [Swift] and that it worked out that way.”
Juszczyk admitted that Kristin has something big up her sleeve amid the 49ers’ fight to reach the Super Bowl after a loss to the Chiefs in February.
“It’s been fun to see how many people want to work with her and how many people reach out to her literally every day [and ask], ‘Hey, can I get a jacket made?’” Juszczyk said.
“All I want her to do is succeed and be happy. And it’s been so awesome for her to really take off in this fashion endeavor. I’m so excited for what she has in store for everyone. I feel like I have such a secret nugget of information that everybody wants to know that I can’t tell. But such big things are coming for her and I’m just so proud of her.”
It’s a two-way street when it comes to supporting one another’s career.
Kristin is a sideline staple at his NFL games, especially at Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers, where she she hosts fashion events and meet and greets.
The designer, who makes her own clothing for each game out of reworked 49ers gear, showed off her hand-crafted corset when she and Claire Kittle, the wife of fullback George Kittle, went viral during a win over the Seahawks on Oct. 10.
Juszczyk and Kittle ran to their wives for the ultimate touchdown celebration after Kittle scored a touchdown to give the 49ers a 12-point lead with less than seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter against Seattle at Lumen Field.
The moment went viral after cameras captured the teammates jumping into a field-level suite for a celebration with their wives.
