Colin Kaepernick: More Than Just a Football Player

Colin Kaepernick is not just a household name for his football career but also for his unwavering commitment to civil rights for Black and Brown communities.

In his silent protest against police brutality during NFL games by taking a knee during the national anthem, Kaepernick made headlines once again in October 2021.

This act led to his effective removal from the league back in 2016. However, the recent revelation came from the notorious former coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Jon Gruden, who privately criticized Kaepernick’s stance in an email.

Gruden reportedly wrote, “He (Kaepernick) should be cut for the way he’s handling his amino acids, cut that f–ker off.” The immediate exposure of Gruden’s emails filled with homophobic and racist language led to his resignation from the Raiders.

Kaepernick’s steadfastness in the face of Gruden’s harsh criticism is in line with his latest project, “Colin in Black and White,” a miniseries based on his life, which was released on Netflix in 2021. This project has further amplified the significance of Kaepernick’s presence and message.

While Kaepernick is content with his ventures in the business world (through his production company, Ra Vision Media) and other professional opportunities, he is also preparing himself for a potential return to the football field.

“I continue to rise at 5 a.m. every morning and dedicate five to six days a week to training, ensuring I’m fully prepared to guide a team towards Super Bowl glory.” It’s not something I’m going to give up on anytime soon, despite the 32 teams and their activities,” Kaepernick told Ebony.

Similar to how I demonstrated resilience during my time in high school, I intend to maintain that same level of determination in this situation.

From the NFL to Netflix, Nike, and beyond, resilience has clearly been the key to Kaepernick’s success. To understand Colin Kaepernick’s total net worth and how he earned it, keep reading. Additionally, discover how he channels his wealth into causes close to his heart.

What Is Colin Kaepernick’s Total Net Worth?
Colin Kaepernick’s total net worth is estimated at $20 million.

Why Is Colin Kaepernick Well-Known?

Colin Kaepernick, adopted by a White family as a child after losing his birth parents to heart defects, gained fame in 2011 when he became a star with the San Francisco 49ers. He was known for his heavy-tattooed biceps on the field and declared early on in 2013 that he wanted to be a positive role model.

I want to make as much positive impact as possible. People have written about me because of my tattoos. People have written about me because I was adopted. People have written about me because they are racist.

They’ve told Sports Illustrated, “People have written about me because their children have heart defects – my mom’s two boys died because of heart defects, which led to me being adopted.” “So, for me, the more people you can touch, the more people you can positively affect or inspire, the better.”

Although he’s most known as an NFL quarterback, Kaepernick was also chosen to play Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox when he was in college at the University of Nevada. He pursued both academics and football and was offered a contract for baseball, which he declined.

Kaepernick earned a bachelor’s degree in 2011 with a 4.0 GPA and a degree in business management before he started playing for the San Francisco 49ers in the same year.

Perhaps more than his on-field skills, Kaepernick is famous for his activism, which quietly began. In 2016, Kaepernick started taking a knee silently before games as a means of protesting police brutality against Black Americans and people of color, particularly after the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, along with the involvement of police officers in Freddie Gray’s death.

In August 2016, Kaepernick expressed to NFL.com, “I won’t be standing up to display pride in a flag representing a nation that discriminates against black individuals and people of color.
To me, this transcends the realm of football, and it would be self-centered to avert my gaze. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

He mentioned that he did not seek permission from his team or his sponsors to protest, saying, “This is not something I am going to ask for permission. I am not going to ask for permission to be able to do this. It is a right.” “If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.”

Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid, who often knelt alongside him, both became free agents in 2017, leading to widespread rumors that their activism got them blackballed from the NFL; Kaepernick has not been picked up by any team since then.

In October, Kaepernick and Reid filed a grievance against the NFL, alleging collusion between league owners.”In February 2019, a discreet agreement was reached to resolve the matter.”

Later that year, Kaepernick organized an open workout for NFL teams, attended by eight different NFL teams, and he explained to Vogt that if the NFL didn’t sign him Once more,Once again, He reaffirmed, “You will have to join me and disseminate it in that manner.” “Despite this, it won’t obstruct my continuous initiatives.” I’m going to continue to push.

I’m going to continue to push for the rights of our people. In this process, I’m not going to let them bury it.”

What Is Colin Kaepernick Doing Now?

Since leaving the NFL, Kaepernick has been quite busy. In February 2020, it was revealed that Kaepernick was not only working on a memoir but was also launching his own publishing company.In an interview with The New York Times, he conveyed,

“I aspire to narrate the tale of my personal growth and the life events that propelled me into protesting against systemic oppression, with the hope that it might serve as an inspiration for others to join the cause.” He mentioned that the book “will tell the stories of those who have inspired him to take the risk of a silent act as an NFL Super Bowl quarterback who risked his career to protest systemic oppression.”