VIDEO – What do Tim Tebow, Colin Kaepernick, and Cam Newton all have in common? All three belong to the exclusive group of players to throw for 20 plus TD’s and rush for 20 plus TD’s in a single season. The year Tim Tebow did it, he won a Heisman, got drafted by the Broncos as the 25th pick overall, and started the last three games of the Broncos’ 2010 season. The year Cam Newton did it, he won a Heisman, was selected first overall in the 2011 Draft, and started the regular season for the Carolina Panthers with record breaking play. The year Colin Kaepernick did it, he got drafted by the San Francisco 49ers as the 36th pick overall (Tim Tebow’s team traded that pick for picks 45, 108, and 141), and…
Kaepernick’s history begs to be written. While 2011 Draft Classmate Cam Newton is starting as a rookie and grabbing headlines, Colin Kaepernick is once again following in the footsteps of Tim Tebow – watching and learning from the sidelines his rookie year. The 49ers’ starting QB position, for now, belongs to 7 year veteran Alex Smith. Kaepernick fans are hoping that this 6’4” 233 lb University of Nevada standout can add patience to his long list of attributes.
One of Kaepernick’s biggest attributes is excitement – on and off the field. After being drafted by the 49ers, Kaepernick said, “It’s the perfect situation that I’ve gone into. [I’m] very excited to play for Coach Harbaugh. He definitely has some fire in him as a coach and I like that a lot. He’s very competitive and I’m the same way. So, I think that will be a good combination in San Francisco.” Kaepernick was definitely hoping for a shot at the starting position, and was ready to bond with his new team immediately: “Especially in the QB position, you have to have teammates who respect you, and are willing to follow you. So the sooner I can start building that relationship and that bonding with them, the better.”
Even though he didn’t get the starting position as a rookie, Kaepernick’s past proves that he has the wherewithal to hold out for what he wants. A three sport star in high school (baseball, basketball, and football) Colin only wanted to play football in college. While several colleges offered him scholarships for baseball, Kaepernick’s 170 lb frame didn’t net any football attention until a University of Nevada assistant coach (laid up with a fever and watching tv one night) saw him dominate a basketball game. That chance viewing led Wolf Pack Head Coach Chris Ault to offer Colin his lone football scholarship. Kaepernick redshirted his first year at Nevada, but his redshirt freshman year, starting QB Nick Graziano went out in the fourth game with a season ending foot injury. Kaepernick took over the reins and started breaking records as the leader of the Wolf Pack.
Another attribute Kaepernick brings to the team is lack of ego. He is a team player. When asked about his accomplishments at Nevada, Kaepernick replies, “I had a lot of good players around me. Our offensive line did a great job, our receivers and running backs did an amazing job. I mean, everything just fell into place.” Another example of Colin’s unassuming personality is an anecdote about his time as an intern at a Wolfpack themed apparel shop in Reno. A mom, who obviously didn’t recognize Kaepernick, came into the shop and asked him for help finding his jersey for her son. The story goes “Colin said, ‘I’m pretty sure it’s No. 10, and it’s right over here.’ He rang up her purchase and everything.” If Kaepernick had a little bit of Ochocinco in him, he might have tipped mom off and she could have scored an autographed jersey. As it stands, she left the store blissfully unaware.
The final attribute that Colin Kaepernick holds in his arsenal is his ability to go with the flow. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kaepernick was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick as the youngest of their three children. They moved to the small town of Turlock, California when he was four. Kaepernick adjusted easily to being a bi-racial child in a white-skinned family. When drawing family portraits, he liked to use different colors of crayons for himself and the other members of his family. He laughed off classmates who doubted that he had white parents, and his easy going laughter and smile are still winning him fans and friends to this day. Colin’s passion for football started when he became his youth league’s quarterback at age nine. A new chapter is starting for him not far from there. Stay tuned for updates to his story.
