“I knew the protest could potentially cost me my career…I would absolutely do it again.”
Ten years on from making the gesture that catapulted him to iconic standing, but which he believes led to his exile from the sport he beloved, Colin Kaepernick insists he has no regrets.
It was September 2016 when NFL star Kaepernick knelt during the US national anthem before a match as a peaceable protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
It proved both inspirational and divisive.
In his first interview with BBC Sport, Kaepernick displays on his journey; his delight at seeing England footballers take the knee, athlete activism, the relationship between sport and politics, and the price he paid for being a figurehead for the civil rights motion.
The former quarterback says he determined to protest despite suspecting it could risk his profession.
“History shows us…that is a reality for athletes”, he says.
“We also see this in broader movements, going well beyond costing someone their career, and costing people their lives. We see Malcolm X assassinated, we see MLK [Martin Luther King] assassinated, so the consequences are real.”
Having initially sat to raise awareness of the plight of black people in the US, Kaepernick first knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner before his San Francisco 49ers group performed a pre-season recreation. It was an act he would repeat before 11 regular-season contests that 12 months.
At the time, he said he could not stand up for – and show delight in – a flag “for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour”, including: “This is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
His stance against racial inequality was seen as heroic by many, inspiring other NFL gamers to comply with swimsuit. But there was also condemnation from those who said it was disrespectful to the navy.
Those dissenting voices included Donald Trump – then a presidential candidate.
Trump described the act as “a terrible thing” and unpatriotic. He even steered Kaepernick should discover another nation to stay in, including gamers who refused to stand for the national anthem should be fired.
The NFL said it would wonderful groups whose gamers did not stand.
Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017, though the membership’s management later said he would have been launched regardless.
Despite main the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl, and throwing 16 touchdowns in his closing season, one of the most proficient quarterbacks in the sport never discovered a new group.
Speaking from New York, Kaepernick says he anticipated the response to taking the knee. “What I couldn’t have predicted was the people who would show up for me in significant ways, and also the people who worked against me and against the movement,” he provides.
Kaepernick finally filed a grievance against NFL group homeowners, who he believed had conspired not to rent him because of his protests, reaching a financial settlement in 2019.
That 12 months, the NFL organized a non-public exercise for Kaepernick, but he selected not to attend, instead holding his own session elsewhere to enable media to be current. Hopes of a comeback never materialised.
The NFL later admitted it was “wrong for not listening to players earlier”, and inspired “all to speak out and peacefully protest”.
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