Ten years after kneeling during the US national anthem, a gesture that made him an icon but which he believes led to his exile from the NFL, Colin Kaepernick says he has no regrets. In September 2016, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback knelt as a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality. It proved both inspirational and divisive. In his first interview with BBC Sport, Kaepernick reflects on his pride at seeing England footballers take the knee, athlete activism, the relationship between sport and politics, and the price he paid as a figurehead for the civil rights movement.
Kaepernick says he suspected the protest could cost him his career but chose to go ahead anyway. "History shows us...that is a reality for athletes," he says, pointing to the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. "The consequences are real." At the time, he said he could not stand up for a flag "for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour."
His stance was seen as heroic by many and inspired other NFL players to follow suit, but it drew condemnation from those who said it was disrespectful to the military. Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, called the act "a terrible thing" and unpatriotic. Kaepernick opted out of his 49ers contract in March 2017 and never found a new team, despite leading the club to the 2013 Super Bowl. He later filed a grievance against NFL owners, reaching a financial settlement in 2019. The NFL later admitted it was "wrong for not listening to players earlier."
Taking the knee became a feature of Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and England's men's and women's football teams followed suit. "That was a surprising moment for me," Kaepernick says. "To be able to see the national teams going out and protesting, it was humbling."
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing