Colin Kaepernick is one of the more controversial figures in sports to date. Since he took the knee for the national anthem in 2016, he’s been making more headlines off the field than on. And a major reason for this is that, in spite of the star’s clear talent, he’s been deemed too much of a liability, and no team will sign him.
Now an unlikely face has joined the debate. Martin Luther King III (the grandson of the civil rights legend) has claimed that, if fans made the right moves, Kaepernick’s career could be rescued. And while this does seem like a nice idea, fans are feeling pretty skeptical.
He’s a former quarterback-turned-activist who is probably best known for protesting against the systemic racism against African-Americans.
He played college football at the University of Nevada. Kaepernick was then selected by the San Fransisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
In spite of his incredible talent and dedication as an athlete, Kaepernick really hit the headlines for political reasons.
In 2016, during a 49ers preseason game, Kaepernick refused to stand for the U.S. national anthem and instead remained firmly on his knee.
Kaepernick wanted the world to know he did not agree with the ways police in the USA were treating African-American men.
Speaking in an interview in 2016, Kaepernick said: “To me, this is something that has to change, and when there’s a significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”
And his actions attracted a massive amount of media attention at the time – which is still ongoing.
Other football players like Eric Reid, Antoine Bethea, Eli Harold, Jaquiski Tartt, and Rashard Robinso followed suit, and began kneeling during pre-game national anthems.
But then they released a harsher (and more controversial) statement.
If any players chose to take the knee, the team would be fined and the decision would be upon the team leader whether or not they punish that particular player. For many, this felt pretty shady.
In 2017, Kaepernick became a free agent. No team would offer him a contract, which he believed was a direct result of his campaign.
However, his career has flourished in other ways.
In spite of no longer being able to play football professionally, Kaepernick has become something of a public figure, even landing deals with brands like Nike.
He’s got friends in high places in terms of political activists, including When They See Us director, Ava Duverney.
For socially consciously NFL lovers, the fact the Kaepernick continues to be boycotted by teams is something of an embarrassment to the sport.
