Colin Kaepernick breaks silence on memoir, says he's ready for NFL: 'Desire to play football is still there'
Colin Kaepernick, former National Football League (NFL) quarterback, on Thursday, revealed that he is writing a memoir that will be released this year by his newly formed company — Kaepernick Publishing.
"I learned early on that in fighting against systematic oppression, dehumanization and colonization, who controls the narrative shapes the reality of how the world views society,” Kaepernick in an interview with USA TODAY Sports had said on Tuesday. "It controls who’s loved, who’s hated, who’s degraded and who’s celebrated."
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has not played a single game in the NFL ever since he left the 49ers at the end of the 2016 session, the year he began his controversial protest of kneeling during the national anthem.
Kaepernick stirred a national controversy in an effort to protest against reported police brutality against black people in the country. Other players soon took his cue and joined the protest in the 2016 season, while many others have continued the protest till now. The 33-year-old has not been signed by NFL teams ever since despite his willingness to play again.
(Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images)
Kaepernick's memoir, which has not yet been named, is set to provide more insight on the player's methods and motivation behind his activism. The football player has been actively engaged in self-empowerment efforts for black and brown people through his Know Your Rights Camps.
His memoir will be much-anticipated considering the player has rarely spoken on public forums and given interviews about his journey.
“I’ve had a lot of questions surrounding what got me to the point of protesting," Kaepernick told the outlet. "Why did I do it? Why did I do it at that moment? Why wasn’t it earlier in my career? A lot of questions surrounding what led me to that point. Which led me to wanting to share that story and give insight. So I think there’s a lot of interest around it, but time will tell when the book comes out." The 33-year-old, over the past few years, has emerged as a prominent cultural figure, despite being shunned by NFL teams.
Kaepernick does not seem to be getting any closer to be chosen by an NFL team after the fiasco in November last year, which saw a hastily arranged NFL workout for the player. The activist told the outlet he is not ready to give up hope of playing in the NFL again, "My desire to play football is still there. I still train five days a week. I’m ready to go, I’m ready for a phone call, tryout, workout at any point in time. I’m still waiting on the owners and their partners to stop running from this situation. So I hope I get a call this offseason. I’ll be looking forward to it.”