Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick
refer to caption
Kaepernick with the 49ers in 2012
No. 7
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1987-11-03) November 3, 1987 (age 37)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:Pitman (Turlock, California)
College:Nevada (2006–2010)
NFL draft:2011 / round: 2 / pick: 36
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× WAC Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2010)
NFL records
  • Rushing yards by a quarterback in a game: 181
  • Rushing yards by a quarterback in a postseason: 264
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:1,692
Passing completions:1,011
Completion percentage:59.8%
TD–INT:72–30
Passing yards:12,271
Passer rating:88.9
Rushing yards:2,300
Rushing touchdowns:13
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Colin Rand Kaepernick (/ˈkæpərnɪk/ KAP-ər-nik;[1] born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.[2][3][4]

Kaepernick played college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice and became the only player in NCAA Division I history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. After graduating, he was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. Kaepernick began his professional football career as a backup quarterback to Alex Smith, and became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the 2012 season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During the 2013 season, his first full season as a starter, 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 for three seasons.

In the 49ers' third preseason game in 2016, Kaepernick sat during the playing of the U.S. national anthem prior to the game, rather than stand as is customary, as a protest against racial injustice, police brutality and oppression in the country.[5][6] The following week, and throughout the regular season, Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem. The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising his protests 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.[7][8] Kaepernick became a free agent after the season and remained unsigned, which numerous analysts and observers have attributed to political reasons.[9] 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.[10][11][12] 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, but he remains unsigned by any professional football team.

  1. ^ Farmer, Sam (January 17, 2013). "Kaepernick is suddenly a big name, and now we know how to say it". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  2. ^ "Colin Kaepernick's private NFL workout, Prince Andrew's interview: 5 things to know this weekend". USA Today. November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019. Kaepernick, 32, hasn't played in an NFL game since 2016 after he began kneeling during pregame renditions of the national anthem as a means of protesting police brutality and racial inequality in America.
  3. ^ "Kaepernick, from Super Bowl quarterback to NFL pariah". France 24. AFP. April 9, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2019. What began as a quiet protest against police brutality and racial inequality catapulted Colin Kaepernick to the forefront of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.
  4. ^ Lang, Cady (August 19, 2019). "'I Feel Like Jay-Z Can Bring Back Colin Kaepernick.' Celebrities Weigh in on Jay Z's New NFL Deal". Time. Retrieved November 17, 2019. Cardi also said that she hoped that Jay-Z would be able to influence the league to hire Kaepernick, who has not played in the league since 2016, following tensions over his decision to kneel during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest against police brutality and racial inequality.
  5. ^ Wyche, Steve (August 27, 2016). "Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem". NFL.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Blackistone, Kevin B. (March 24, 2017). "Has Colin Kaepernick been blackballed by the NFL?". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "Trump says NFL should fire players who kneel during national anthem". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. September 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  8. ^ Watkins, Eli (October 9, 2017). "Pence leaves Colts game after protest during anthem". CNN.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Maske, Mark (August 30, 2018). "Colin Kaepernick's collusion case proceeds after NFL's dismissal request is denied". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "Statement by Prof. Burbank on Decision Regarding Colin Kaepernick's Collusion Case". University of Pennsylvania Law School. August 30, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  12. ^ Belson, Ken (August 30, 2018). "Colin Kaepernick's Collusion Case Against the N.F.L. Will Advance". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2023.