Kaepernick tells CBS he'll stand during national anthem
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has told CBS that he would stand during the national anthem if given a chance to play football in the NFL again.
According to a report by Jason La Canfora on Sunday, Kaepernick has been living in New York and working out privately in New Jersey with the hope of signing with a team this season.
Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem last season to bring more attention to the killings of black men by police officers and other social injustices. The protests spread this season after the former San Francisco 49ers starter opted out of his contract and was unable to sign on with another team.
The issue has grown as Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett recently said he was racially profiled by Las Vegas police during a confrontation, and President Donald Trump aggressively chastised players and team owners for protests during the anthem.
According to CBS, La Canfora sat down with Kaepernick, his girlfriend and his trainer on Saturday night. It was not described as an interview, as La Canfora paraphrased Kaepernick’s comments.
La Canfora said his “primary takeaway†was that Kaepernick’s sole focus is on being a quarterback. Kaepernick does on-field work and throws hundreds of passes for several hours a day at an undisclosed location in New Jersey. He also trains in a gym and spends part of his days working with youth in Harlem.
Kaepernick said his agent is talking to all 32 teams, and he’s hopeful a team will give him an opportunity for a tryout. He said the Tennessee Titans knew he wanted to work out for them last week, but he was not among four quarterbacks invited for an audition. The Titans signed Brandon Weeden.
Kaepernick said if he is signed, he doesn’t plan to kneel during the anthem. He also said proceeds from his jersey sales would be donated to charity.