Colin Kaepernick Says NFL Protest Was Worth His Career
· Yahoo Sports
Colin Kaepernick hasn't played an NFL game in nearly a decade, but he says losing his football career was a price he'd willingly pay again for standing against racial injustice.
In a new interview with BBC Sport, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback reflected on the consequences of kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, acknowledging that he knew his protest could cost him everything he'd worked for on the field.
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"I knew the protest could potentially cost me my career," Kaepernick said. "I would absolutely do it again."
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"History shows us…that is a reality for athletes," he said, adding that social movements have carried consequences extending far beyond professional careers.
Kaepernick's decision to kneel alongside teammate Eric Reid sparked nationwide controversy in September 2016. While supporters praised his demonstration against police brutality, critics accused him of disrespecting the American flag and military.
Despite leading San Francisco to Super Bowl XLVII and throwing 16 touchdowns during his final season, Kaepernick never signed with another NFL team after becoming a free agent in 2017.
He subsequently filed a grievance accusing NFL owners of colluding to keep him unemployed because of his activism. The two sides reached a confidential settlement in 2019.
Kaepernick hasn't softened his position on the league, either.
During a September interview with NBC News, he accused the NFL of "actively blackballing" him and said he no longer watches its games. Commissioner Roger Goodell has previously denied that the league blackballed Kaepernick.
The NFL later acknowledged that it had been wrong not to listen to protesting players earlier, although Kaepernick has questioned the sincerity of that response.
His latest comments also come as he revisits his upbringing through his memoir, The Perilous Fight, which examines the experiences that shaped his activism.
"She's going to be a little light-skinned Black girl," he said. "She's going to have Kaepernick as her last name."
Meanwhile, Kaepernick told BBC Sport that seeing England's national soccer teams adopt kneeling as an anti-racism protest was particularly meaningful.
"To be able to see the national teams going out and protesting, it was humbling," he said.
And although athlete activism has become less prominent in recent years, Kaepernick believes the need for it hasn't disappeared.
"I think we're in a moment that demands protests more than ever," he said.
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