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Colin Kaepernick to be inducted into University of Nevada's Hall of Fame, Internet calls it 'deserving'

There will be no induction dinner this year owing to the coronavirus pandemic - although the school does plan to hold an event when it is deemed safe

Colin Kaepernick has been selected for induction into the Hall of Fame at the University of Nevada in Reno, his alma mater. The NFL free agent was listed in the university's Hall of Fame class of 2020 released Friday, alongside two of his Wolf Pack teammates, one women's and two men's basketball players, including former NBA forward Luke Babbitt, the Daily Mail reported. "The 2020 Hall of Fame class represents some of the best of the best in Wolf Pack history," athletic director Doug Knuth said in a statement. "This is an incredible collection of accomplished student-athletes and we can't wait for the opportunity to welcome them back to campus and celebrate their careers."

However, there will be no induction dinner this year owing to the coronavirus pandemic - although the school does plan to hold an event when it is deemed safe.

Kaepernick was a star at Nevada as part of an unheralded program in the Western Athletic Conference before he was picked by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. According to the report, the athlete-turned-civil rights figure "tossed for 10,098 wars in college and gained another 4,112 yards on the ground to go with his 142 total touchdowns." As a senior, he helped the Wolf Pack secure a "13-1 record and a victory over Boston College in the Fight Hunger Bowl to finish 11th in the country." What's more? The Wisconsin native also graduated with a 4.0 grade-point average.  

In 2016, Kaepernick grabbed national attention as a member of the 49ers after he began kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality. The former quarterback has "been widely recognized for his social activism, winning prestigious awards including 2017 GQ Magazine Citizen of the Year, the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, the 2017 American Civil Liberties Union Eason Monroe Courageous Advocate Award and the 2018 Harvard University W. E. B. Du Bois Medal," according to Friday's press release. "Most recently he has been selected along with the nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci as the 2020 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope award laureates, an award given out to leaders who use their platforms for good and demonstrate a commitment to social change."

Reactions on social media were more or less divided. "A top-notch headliner to an amazing hall of fame class! Kaepernick was an absolute force on the field, but nothing makes prouder as an alum than seeing all of the tireless work he is doing to help his community and those being marginalized. So much love for @Kaepernick7," one wrote.

"I’d love to see him so a Police Ride-Along without peeing his pants. He’s so out of touch with actual Crime in America," another added.

"Can’t stand him but he was a great player there so it’s deserving," a third wrote.

Kaepernick was relieved from his contract in March 2017 and is currently not signed to any team. He settled a grievance with the NFL for an undisclosed amount in 2016 after alleging that league bosses had blackballed him in retaliation for his anthem protests.