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Colin Kaepernick’s Net Worth: Famous Football Quarterback & Civil Rights Activist

Colin Rand Kaepernick, a name well known to American football fans for not only being an exceptional player but also for being a political and civil rights activist. You might remember him from the NFL games where he knelt during the national anthem to protest against police violence and racism in the US. Kaepernick played six seasons in the NFL, from 2011 to 2016. Today, his net worth is reported to be around a massive $20 million.

Family & Educational Background

The American footballer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 3, 1987. His real parents divorced before Colin was born. As a child, Colin was given up for adoption by his single birth mother and fate took him to the family of Rick and Teresa Kaepernick.

Colin became the youngest sibling to his elder brother Kyle and sister Devon. The Kaepernicks had earlier lost two of their sons due to heart defects, leading them to the choice of adopting one. The family stayed in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, until Colin turned four after which they shifted to California.

He joined John H.Pitman High School in Turlock, California, where he proved to be one of the brightest students and the best athlete. Initially in high school, the activist used to be into baseball for which he earned numerous scholarship offers to play college baseball.

However, Colin decided that he wanted to focus on football now and he got a spot at the University of Nevada. This was when his journey towards being a footballer started. During his years at college, he was known as one of the best college quarterbacks in the country. He received multiple achievements and awards for his record-setting performances.

Colin’s Football Career & San Francisco 49ers

In 2009, he was chosen by the MLB to play for the baseball team, Chicago Cubs. Kaepernick rejected the offer because his passion lied in football. His dreams turned to reality in 2011. It was in the second round of the NFL Draft when he signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

The footballer continued to play as a backup quarterback for the 49ers until 2012, ultimately leading the team to Super Bowl XLVII with his outstanding skills. Unfortunately, they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 31-34. In the following year, Kaepernick once again led the team to the edge of victory in the NFC Championship game which they again failed to win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Colin Kaepernick’s Protests

It was during the third preseason game in 2016 of the 49er’s that Colin decided to kneel during the play of the U.S. national anthem before the start of the game. Following the game, the protestor chose to do the same for the rest of the regular season.

His act of kneeling during the national anthem was his way of speaking up against the violence done on the basis of racial differences. This led to emotional and passionate reactions both for and against his protest. Colin Kaepernick received considerable attention through the media which blasted up in September 2017 when President Donald Trump said that NFL should fire the players that protest during the national anthem.

After the season, Kaepernick became a free agent and no team has signed him as of yet.

NFL Lawsuit

In 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL blaming the league for not letting him play because of his decision to protest during the national anthem. The lawsuit was settled privately in February 2019 with an undisclosed amount. Even though some news channels estimated the amount to be as high as $60 to $80 million, a month later it was revealed that only $10 million was paid.

Know Your Rights Camp

The football champion supposedly started dating the radio personality host Nessa Diab in July 2015. The couple chose to officially declare their relationship in February 2016 when they went public. Together they founded the organization Know Your Rights Camp which helps underprivileged youth to learn about self-empowerment, history, and legal rights, through free seminars. The organization also started a relief fund in April 2020 for individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Colin Kaepernick himself donated $100k to the fund.

Colin Kaepernick’s Net Worth & How He Earned It

Despite not playing for the last few years, Colin Kaepernick has been able to earn through other sources like brand endorsements for Nike. As of 2020, Colin Kaepernick’s net worth stands at $20 million.

Salary

The former quarterback earned around $43 million from his six seasons with the 49ers from 2011 to 2016. In his last year alone for the team, Kaepernick made $14.4 million. The amount he got was seriously less than what he was initially contracted for. In 2014, he signed a contract for $126 million for seven years. In the end, Colin was only paid $39 million after three years of the contract.

Having not played for the last three years, Colin was supposedly seeking $20 million to play from the Alliance of America Football and the XFL earlier this year.

NFL Settlement

Even though Kaepernick won his grievance, the amount he received for settlement was severely low. According to the Journal, players are supposed to receive three times the amount they lost by not playing. This amount is determined by an arbitrator according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement. If that happened, Kaepernick would have received as much as $90 million because he missed two NFL seasons. Yet, he only got $10 million.

Brand Endorsements

Colin Kaepernick has endorsed multiple brands over the years including Beats By Dre, McDonald’s, Jaguar, Electronic Arts, and MusclePharm. Yet, the player’s biggest endorsement was of the American apparel giant, Nike. Colin had been with the company since 2011 but following his protests in 2017, most people believed that Nike did not renew his contract.

But in 2018, Nike released its “Just Do It” campaign for its 30th anniversary featuring Kaepernick. The Wall Street Journal characterized the deal as “top of the line” and on the same level as Odell Beckham, Jr., who is contracted for $5 million per year over a five-year deal with Nike.

Colin in Black & White

Colin Kaepernick has now taken to the world of entertainment to spread his story. The Walt Disney Company has collaborated with the activist via his production arm, Ra Vision Media. The aim of the partnership is to spread stories about exploring races, social injustice, and racial equity.

A story revolving around Kaepernick’s early life as a black adopted child in a while family is under production. The series, named “Colin in Black & White” is a partnership of filmmaker Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick. The script of the series was concluded in May 2020 based on six episodes.

 

Colin Kaepernick has been training to stay fit and is ready to get to the field once again. His net worth is bound to increase considering that he has realized his worth and will not work for anything less. In addition to being a great player, he realizes the importance of justice and equality for human society. As he continues to stand up against unfairness in the world, his fans will continue to love him more each day.

 

Disclaimer: All of the information mentioned above has been gathered from the sources mentioned below:

Forbes

Yahoo Finance

Forbes

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