
Kaepernick was born in 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to 19-year-old Heidi Russo, who is a white American.
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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. Kaepernick withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL.

In November 2017, he filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league.
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Kaepernick became a free agent after the season and remained unsigned, which numerous analysts and observers have attributed to political reasons. 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.

The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising him and his stand against racism and others denouncing the protests. The following week, and throughout the regular season, Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem. 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. In the 49ers' third preseason game in 2016, Kaepernick sat during the playing of the U.S. Over the next three seasons, Kaepernick lost and won back his starting quarterback job, with the 49ers missing the playoffs for three seasons.
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During the 2013 season, his first full season as a starter, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game. 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. 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. After graduating, he was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. 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. 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. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a postseason (264)Ĭolin Rand Kaepernick ( / ˈ k æ p ər n ɪ k/ KAP-ər-nik born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent.Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game (181).2× WAC Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2010)."The 49ers are allowing this to come out from an employee and it's making for a hostile work environment for us at the stadium," Santa Clara Police Officers Association President Frank Saunders said.Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 Ian Cull of NBC Bay Area reported that the Santa Clara Police Union threatened to boycott 49ers games during the upcoming season because of his comments about police brutality. Not everybody has agreed with Kaepernick's course of action. If nothing else, he's generated more conversation about issues that have to be talked about. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about.

When it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us - that is a tough thing for them to get past. Kim Hjelmgaard of USA Today noted that the backup QB received high-profile support Monday from President Barack Obama, who stated that Kaepernick was "exercising his constitutional right": If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right." I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. "This is not something that I am going to run by anybody," Kaepernick said. He also discussed the inherent risk of making such a strong public statement. There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." "To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," he said. He explained the decision to Steve Wyche of NFL.com last month. Kaepernick, who's received both praise and criticism for his manner of taking a stand against racial injustice, either sat or knelt during the anthem over the team's exhibition slate.
