Colin Kaepernick- Career, Biography & Facts
Colin Kaepernick is a 35 years old American gridiron football player and a social activist. He was born on 3rd November 1987 and was a successful quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016. A Wisconsin-born NFL player was famously known for kneeling during the national anthem before games. He used to protest against police brutality and national injustice against African Americans.
Colin Kaepernick – Early Life
Colin’s mother was a 19-year-old white American who gave him up for adoption when he was five weeks old. His adoptive parents, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, raised Colin in Turlock, CA. The couple also had two biological children – Kyle and Devon. He stayed in Wisconsin for four years; later, his family moved to California.
He started playing football at eight, and by nine, he was the starting quarterback for his teams. He went to Pitman High School and was a multi-talented athlete. He was brilliant and had a GPA of 4.0. He played football, baseball, and basketball while at Pitman High School. In his senior year, he was nominated for all three sports in all-state selection. He was the most valuable player (MVP) in football for the Central California Conference who led his school to its first-ever playoff victory.
Because of his excellent sporting skills, he received a scholarship to the University of Nevada for playing football. In no time, during the freshman season, Colin was given the responsibility of being the school’s starting quarterback.
Colin Kaepernick – Football Career
Kaepernick was a prolific passer and was adept at running the football. He was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2010. Later in the second round of the 2011 NFL, he was selected by the 49ers.
During his first season in the NFL, Colin only appeared in three games. In 2012, when 49ers quarterback Alex Smith suffered a concussion, the head coach replaced Smith with Colin. With the help of Colin, the 49ers were able to finish their season with an 11-4-1 record and moved to the Superbowl for the first time in 18 years.
Kaepernick was selected again in 2013 as starting quarterback by the 49ers, and he led his team to a regular 12-4 season total. That year, Colin set his career highs with 3369 passing yards, while 639 yards gained by rushing. In 2014, the team could not advance, and in 2015, he was replaced by Blaine Gabbert, who later suffered a shoulder injury towards the season’s end.
Kaepernick’s Protest
During the 2016 preseason of the NFL, Colin started with his protests. It was first sitting during the national anthem and later kneeling down. He once said that he would not show pride in the flag of the country that oppresses black people and people of color. He continued saying that it was bigger than football for him. Many more NFL players joined Colin in his protest, and by the end of the 2016 season, there were athletes in various sports following in Kaepernick’s footsteps.
Colin’s protest saw considerable limelight and national media coverage. There were many reactions, both from supporters and critics. Former US president Barack Obama defended Colin’s constitutional right to make any statement. At the same time, Donald Trump denounced the players and told them to leave the country. Colin also received many death threats, and in the Oct 3rd edition of Time magazine, he was cited for prompting a national debate.
Colin did not fear any and continued with the protests throughout 2016. He spoke publicly about the police’s brutality, but he was amongst the best on the field. By the end of the season, Colin decided to enter the NFL free-agent market. Due to his ongoing protest, no team signed him, and he filed a formal grievance complaint accusing the NFL team owners of keeping him out of the league. His grievance was resolved in 2019, and he settled with the NFL owners.
Colin’s Journey Back in the NFL
After the settlement, Colin accepted the league’s invitation, where he was to participate in a private workout. This private workout was planned for Nov 2019 to be scheduled in front of 32 NFL team representatives. Kaepernick moved the private workout venue to a local high school instead of the Atlanta Falcons training facility. Because of this, representatives of only eight teams could attend the workout, and no offer was made to Colin.
People made a lot of issues about Colin not being selected, and it was during the same time when an African American man, George Floyd, died in the custody of US police. It made the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, offer an apology to Colin and said he would like him to be welcome to the NFL again. Goodell also asked all the teams to find a spot for him.
Colin Kaepernick and Honors
Kaepernick’s protest made huge highlights, and he received many honors for his efforts to raise racial inequality and discrimination awareness. He received the sports illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award in 2017 and the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award in 2018.
In 2020, Colin also signed a deal with Disney to create documentaries and projects focusing purely on social justice issues.
Colin’s Personal Details and Career Highlights
| Name | Colin Kaepernick |
| Born As | Colin Rand Kaepernick |
| Date of Birth | 3rd November, 1987 |
| Age | 35 years |
| Mother | Heidi Russo (White American) |
| Father | Someone from Ghanaian, Nigerian and Ivorian ancestry. Separated from his mother before his birth, identity is unknown. |
| Height | 6’14” |
| Weight | 230 Lbs |
| High School | John H Pitman |
| College | Nevada |
| Position | Quarterback |
| NFL Draft | 2011/Round: 2/ Pick: 36 |
| Played For | San Francisco 49ers (2011-2016) |
| Awards | 2 times WAC Offensive player of the year – 2008 and 2010 |
| NFL Records | Most rushing yards (181) by a quarterbackMost rushing yards (264) by a quarterback in postseason |
| Passing Attempts | 1692 |
| Passing Completion | 1011 |
| Completion Percentage | 59.8% |
| TD-INT | 72-30 |
| Passing Yards | 12271 |
| Passer Rating | 88.9 |
| Rushing Yards | 2300 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 13 |
