San Francisco 49ers

Colin Kaepernick's parents voice their support for his national anthem protests

Published Dec. 14, 2016 8:39 a.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police violence has made the San Francisco 49ers quarterback a polarizing figure, to say the least. There were even those who questioned whether his own family supported his stance.

On Friday, Kaepernick's parents put those questions to rest by issuing a statement unequivocally voicing their support for their son.

Via ESPN.com:

"Colin is carrying a heavy load and following a difficult path that he truly believes in. He is putting his entire future and possibly his life on the line for those beliefs," Teresa and Rick Kaepernick wrote in a statement addressed to The Undefeated on Friday. "As his parents, it pains us to read articles and tweets saying that his family does not support him; this could not be further from the truth. We want people to know that we are very proud of our son and admire his strength and courage in kneeling for the rights of others." [...]

"Colin has chosen to kneel for the national anthem as a protest to the continuing racial inequality in this country," the statement read. "He has explained his reasons for this in multiple interviews, yet it seems some people still do not understand his point. For whatever reason, there are some who want to view this as an anti-military protest or an un-American stance. These views could not be further from the truth, but we know that people will believe what they wish to believe. The recent remarks (attacks) by Admiral Harris supported by the Pentagon are over the top, and we feel the desire to make a public statement in support of our son."

The aforementioned comments from U.S. Navy Admiral Harry Harris came during his speech at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, although he did not mention Kaepernick directly:

“You can bet that the men and women we honor today – and those who died that fateful mourning 75 years ago – never took a knee and never failed to stand whenever they heard our national anthem being played,” Harris said.

Kaepernick first protested during the opening week of the preseason, but his actions did not garner much media attention until several weeks later. When asked about his decision to kneel, Kaepernick told reporters he was "not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."

Teresa and Rick Kaepernick adopted Colin when he was five weeks old after his 19-year-old birth mother gave him up for adoption. That woman, Heidi Russo, criticized Kaepernick on Twitter for his protest earlier this year.

As for why Kaepernick's parents took so long to make a statement, Teresa explained to ESPN that "the couple initially wanted to avoid the limelight associated with making a public statement about their son but were shocked by the overwhelmingly false narrative that she and her husband don't support their son."

A number of athletes from both the NFL and around the sports world joined Kaepernick in his protest, which extended into the regular season. These days, of course, Kaepernick is drawing just as much attention for his performance on the field, as he became the 49ers' starting quarterback in Week 6. This past Sunday, Kaepernick set a new historical low, becoming the first player in NFL history with five sacks and fewer than five passing yards. Although he was benched for his atrocious play against the Chicago Bears, Kaepernick remains the starter this week against the Jets.

The Kaepernicks credited "prayer and talks with our son" for their appreciation for his perspective:

"When Colin first 'took a knee', his family was as surprised as anyone. We did not understand why he was doing this and were overwhelmed with the public reaction and hate. Colin not only received terrible racist tweets, but also received letters directly to our home similar to that recently received by [Denver Broncos linebacker] Brandon Marshall," the family's statement read. "We were truly shocked at the amount of racist hatred out there! Until this had occurred, we had naively believed that the racial atmosphere in this country was far better than it actually is. Prayer and talks with our son gave us a much better understanding of the reason for his protest and how we should view it."

Earlier this year, Kaepernick met with former Green Beret and NFL long-snapper Nate Boyer to discuss his protest. Boyer subsequently stood next to Kaepernick while the 49ers QB took a knee during the anthem prior to a preseason game. Kaepernick continued to make headlines during the 2016 United States presidential election, telling reporters he did not vote. He then created further controversy with a statement that appeared to support late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Kaepernick vowed to donate the first $1 million of his salary this season, plus the proceeds from any jersey sales, to groups that address social inequality. The 49ers backed their quarterback with a similar donation to two Bay Area groups with the same goal.