Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick believes he can help his team win a championship if he gets back into the sport after an eight-year hiatus.
Kaepernick spent six years with the San Francisco 49ers, helping them reach their first Super Bowl since 1994 during the 2012 season, but has not competed in the NFL since 2016.
“We're still training, we're still working on it,” Kaepernick said. He told Sky Sports News. “So hopefully, we'll get one of these team owners to open their heart.
“I've been training my whole life, so if I can get back on the pitch, it'll be a big moment for me, a big achievement. I think I can bring a lot to the team and help them win the championship.”
Kaepernick spent six years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
In August 2016, during his final season with the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
'Taking the knee' has become a global phenomenon and is still happening in sport around the world, including before certain matches during the Premier League and WSL seasons.
At the time, two days after pledging to donate $1 million to community organizations, Kaepernick said, “I want to send a message that we have a lot of issues that need to be addressed in this country.
Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
“We have a lot of people who are oppressed, who are not treated equally, who are not given equal opportunities,” Kaepernick said during a speech at Nike’s “Art of Winning” exhibition in partnership with the Pompidou Centre at the Olympics.
Kaepernick said he would continue to kneel “until justice is served.” The protests spread across the NFL in September 2016, with 11 players from the West Coast to the East Coast protesting during the first week of the season.
The kneeling practice has also taken off in the NWSL, with World Cup-winning soccer player Megan Rapinoe kneeling during the national anthem in September 2016, saying, “We need to have a more thoughtful, two-faced conversation about race in this country.”
Then-President Barack Obama also commented on Kaepernick's actions, saying, “He is exercising his constitutional right to make a statement. I think there are many ways to do that when it comes to our flag and our national anthem.”
Could Kaepernick compete in the Olympics?
According to the NFL, flag football is played by more than 20 million people in 100 countries, and the 5-on-5 format is a non-contact sport enjoyed by people of all ages.
The next Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, and flag football will be one of the first sports to be introduced, something Kaepernick would love to be a part of.
Kaepernick would love to be a part of LA2028 with flag football.
“Hopefully we'll be there,” he said. “We'll work out a few things and see if we can get there. We want to be there.”
“It was an incredible game to be a part of,” Kaepernick said of the U.S. team's comeback from a 13-point deficit against Serbia in the men's basketball semifinals at the Paris Olympics.
The United States won its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal with a thrilling 98-87 victory over host France on Saturday. LeBron James scored 14 points to earn his fourth Olympic medal and third gold medal.
Steph Curry led the way with 24 points, while Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (the first four-time men's gold medalist in Olympic basketball history) each scored 15 points.
The United States won its fifth straight Olympic gold medal, with Steph Curry showing his prowess in a thrilling win over host nation France in Paris.
“I hope they (Team USA) continue to build on their legacy, but this team has some of the best players of all time,” he said. “They’re at the end of their careers, but they’re performing at a level that we’ve never seen players at their age.
“When you see guys who have been competing against each other their entire careers, and they actually play together as a team, you see the dynamic between LeBron, Steph, KD (Kevin Durant), Joel (Embiid), Tatum, D Booker. They have a complete squad.
“They're all All-Stars, and I think about how we put together this team. These are five guys at any given moment. I don't want to be the one making that decision because everyone is so talented.”
Kaepernick was in Paris to run the 10K in the Marathon for All in partnership with Nike, along with Olympic champions Caster Semenya and Mo Farah, an event that allowed amateurs to run the Olympic marathon course between the men's and women's races.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and is integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers over 50% more live sport to watch at no extra cost this year. Stream the new EFL season, Test cricket and more top sport on NOW.
