Colin Kaepernick knelt for his convictions.
Colin Kaepernick, as we know, caused a lot of controversy for kneeling during The National Anthem. The controversy increased later when President Trump said players who kneel should be fired.
But let’s look at the life and legacy of this player and activist.
Colin Kaepernick was born in 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was put up for adoption while he was still just a baby. At the age of 4, his family moved to California.
At the age of 8, he started playing youth football and, one year later, he was star quarterback of his youth football team. He was nominated for all-state 3 times and was named Most Valuable Player in California high school football.
After graduating high school, he played football for the University of Nevada-Reno. Because he also played baseball in high school, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. But Colin wanted to play football, so he entered the NFL Draft.
Courtesy: FiveThirtyEight
In 2011, Kaepernick was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. He started as a backup to Alex Smith but later worked his way up to starter.
In 2016, Colin knelt during the playing of The National Anthem to protest racial injustice. “I’m not gonna’ stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” said.said. “To me,” he continued, “this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies on the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
For generations, Colin Kaepernick will stand as an American icon.
