Colin Kaepernick

Colin Rand Kaepernick ( KAP-ər-nik; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2016, he gained national attention for kneeling during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

Kaepernick played college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack, twice winning Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, Kaepernick began his professional career as a backup to Alex Smith. He became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the 2012 season after Smith was injured and led the team to Super Bowl XLVII, the franchise's first appearance since 1994. In his first full season as the starter the following year, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game. Over the next three seasons, Kaepernick lost and won back his starting quarterback job, with the 49ers missing the playoffs each year.

During the 2016 preseason, Kaepernick sat during the playing of the U.S. national anthem before the game as a protest against racial injustice, police brutality, and oppression in the country. The following week, and throughout the regular season, Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem. The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising and others denouncing the protests. The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in September 2017 after President Donald Trump said that NFL owners should "fire" players who protest during the national anthem. Kaepernick became a free agent after the season and was not signed by another team, which several analysts and observers have attributed to political motives. In November 2017, he filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of collusion in keeping him out of the league. In August 2018, arbitrator Stephen B. Burbank rejected the NFL's request to dismiss the case. Kaepernick withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. His protests received renewed attention in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism.

Early life

Kaepernick was born in 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to 19-year-old Heidi Russo, who is a White American. His birth father, who is a Black American (of Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ivorian ancestry) and whose identity is unknown, separated from Russo before Kaepernick was born. Russo placed Kaepernick up for adoption and at 5 weeks old he was placed with a white couple named Rick and Teresa Kaepernick. The couple had two biological children: son Kyle and daughter Devon. The Kaepernicks decided to adopt a boy after losing two other sons to heart defects.

Kaepernick lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, until age four, when his family moved to California. When he was eight years old, Kaepernick began playing youth football as a defensive end and punter. At age nine, he was the starting quarterback on his youth team, and he completed his first pass for a long touchdown. A 4.0 GPA student at John H. Pitman High School in Turlock, California, Kaepernick played football, basketball and baseball and was nominated for all-state selection in all three sports his senior year. In his senior year, he was the most valuable player (MVP) of the Central California Conference in football. In basketball, he was a first-team All-CCC selection at forward and led his 16th-ranked team to a near upset of No. 1-ranked Oak Ridge High School in the opening round of the playoffs. In that game, Kaepernick scored 34 points, but future NBA player Ryan Anderson of Oak Ridge scored 50 points to lead his team to a victory.

College career

Kaepernick received most of his high school accolades as a baseball pitcher. He received several scholarship offers in that sport, but he wanted to play college football. The University of Nevada, Reno and Nevada head coach Chris Ault was the only college to offer Kaepernick a football scholarship, and Kaepernick signed with Nevada in February 2006.

Kaepernick started his college career in 2007 with the Wolf Pack as a back-up quarterback, playing in 11 of the team's 13 games. He finished the season with 19 passing touchdowns, three interceptions and 2,175 passing yards, garnering a 53.8% completion percentage. Kaepernick also added 593 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns as Nevada finished 6–7. He was named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.

As a sophomore, Kaepernick recorded 2,849 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 1,130 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. He became just the sixth player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single season. At the Humanitarian Bowl, he had 370 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions, 15 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, earning the game's MVP award despite his team losing the game. At the conclusion of the game, Kaepernick was designated the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He was the first sophomore to win this award since Marshall Faulk of San Diego State did in 1992.

In the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, Kaepernick was selected in the 43rd round by the Chicago Cubs. He decided that he wanted to continue to play football at the University of Nevada and did not sign with the Cubs.

Kaepernick finished his junior season with 2,052 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, six interceptions 1,183 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Kaepernick led the Wolf Pack to an 8–5 record and a second-place finish in the WAC behind undefeated Boise State. He was named second-team All-WAC quarterback for the season.

On November 26, 2010, Kaepernick led his team to a 34–31 overtime victory against the previously undefeated Boise State Broncos, snapping their 24-game win streak that had dated back to the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl. This game was played on Nevada's senior night, the final home game for Kaepernick. Nevada Head Coach Chris Ault would later call this game the "most important win in program history".

Kaepernick ended his senior season with 3,022 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 1,206 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He joined Florida's Tim Tebow as the second quarterback in FBS history to have 20 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in the same season. Nevada claimed a share of the WAC title after defeating Louisiana Tech. Kaepernick was named WAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year with Kellen Moore, who had won the award in 2009.

Kaepernick finished his collegiate career with 10,098 passing yards, 82 passing touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 4,112 rushing yards and 59 rushing touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in the history of Division I FBS college football to have passed for over 10,000 yards and rushed for over 4,000 yards in a collegiate career, a feat that has not been duplicated. He also tied former Nebraska quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history.

Kaepernick maintained a 4.0 grade point average during his college years and graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in business management. After his senior season, Kaepernick was eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft.

College statistics

Professional career

2011 season

On April 29, 2011, the San Francisco 49ers traded up with the Denver Broncos from the thirteenth pick in the second round (45th overall) to select Kaepernick as the fourth pick in the second round (36th overall) at the 2011 NFL draft. The Broncos received picks 45, 108, and 141 overall in exchange for the 36th overall pick.

Kaepernick spent the 2011 season as backup to Alex Smith and attempted just five passes in three games during the season.

2012 season

In 2012, Kaepernick was initially used sparingly to run certain plays. He scored his first career touchdown in the team's fourth game when he scored on a seven-yard run against the New York Jets. In Week 10, against the St. Louis Rams, Kaepernick replaced Smith in the second half of the game after he suffered a concussion in the first half. Kaepernick completed eleven of seventeen passes for 117 yards and added 66 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown as the 49ers and the Rams ended the game in a 24–24 tie. He got his first NFL start the next game on November 19, during a Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Park. Kaepernick completed 16-of-23 for 246 yards with two touchdowns in a 32–7 win against a highly ranked Bears defense. A quarterback controversy began. Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), led the league in completion percentage (70%), and had been 19–5–1 as a starter under Jim Harbaugh, while Kaepernick was considered more dynamic with his scrambling ability and arm strength. Smith was cleared to play the day before the following game, but Harbaugh chose not to rush him back and again started Kaepernick. Kaepernick won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 15 against the New England Patriots. He passed for 221 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in the 41–34 victory. He remained the starter for the rest of the season and led the 49ers to an 11–4–1 record and a berth in the NFL playoffs.