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J.J. McCarthy has awesome, jaw-dropping custom Rose Bowl cleats

Isaiah Hole
·2 min read
18

J.J. McCarthy knows what time it is.

With Michigan football heading to Los Angeles this week to prepare for the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl, the Wolverines quarterback is making sure he’ll be playing in style against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Unlike the last time that Michigan played in Pasadena in 2007, we’ve seen a big uptick in players expressing themselves through accessories. In the era of name, image and likeness, you’d expect nothing less. With the customized Jordan brand cleats McCarthy intends to wear for the Jan. 1 game, he’ll be taking it to the next level.

The designer of the custom cleats has been quite prolific in football spaces, and you can be assured others in the Michigan football family will have custom cleats as well. Jada Kitna Henderson, who has turned this into a full-time job, is not only the daughter of former Detroit Lions starting quarterback Jon Kitna but is also the wife of Wolverines starting left tackle LaDarius Hendeson. She’s made a name for herself designing custom cleats not just in the college ranks, but in the NFL, too.

While coaching quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys in 2019, Jon Kitna mentioned to Dak Prescott that his daughter was a talented artist and designer who had been customizing shoes.

The Cowboys’ franchise quarterback was interested.

So, when he was thinking about getting some Air Jordan 1 shoes customized for his friends as a Christmas gift, Prescott reached out to Kitna.

“We sent them to her and she blew it away,” Prescott said.

Fast forward to the summer of 2021, Prescott signed a deal with Jordan Brand. That meant wearing various Air Jordan cleats during the upcoming Cowboys’ season.

“Because it was coming off COVID, we really couldn’t get the supply and the colorways in on time,” Prescott said. “So, I had just a bunch of plain whites and plain blacks. I’d send them to her, we’d come up with designs and colors and she nailed it.”

And that’s when customizing shoes and cleats began going from a hobby to a full-time job for Jada Kitna Henderson. After completing multiple pairs for Prescott, she posted photos on social media. And there were doubters.

J.J. McCarthy and the Michigan Wolverines will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024, at 5 p.m. EST. The game is scheduled to be carried on the ESPN family of networks with multiple viewing options.

Story originally appeared on Wolverines Wire