Being a pro football player has it’s perks, sure. The money, the fame, the endorsement, the money, the women, the money. The list is endless. However, there’s something to be said about guys that had it, and lost it. That’s a rough space to be in. The general public, the press, and often your own peers will never let you forget about the pinnacle from which you fell. It’s a mind game that can consume even the strongest. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen to Colin Kaepernick this season.
Kaepernick was once considered an elite quarterback in the NFL. With grit, guts and a cannon for an arm, he led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his first season as its starting QB, and the NFC Championship the very next year. Though both seasons ended in crushing losses, it was widely believed that Kaepernick was San Francisco’s quarterback of the future, and, ostensibly, the NFL’s.
However, injuries and fundamental differences with a vacillating coaching staff changed all that, and the 49ers have suffered more losing seasons than they’ve enjoyed winning ones since 2012. That said, Kaepernick is still thought to be one of the more uniquely talented and athletic players in the league, and the 49ers aren’t willing to give up on him just yet.
Neither are the guys int he above video clip. Brought to you by TMZ Sports, you can see what appears to be two drunken fans approach Kaepernick, and aggressively remind him that he can once again be great. How great? As great as Cam Newton is. Though Kaep seems to be taking all these backdoor compliments on the chin, it’s worth noting that Newton and Kaepernick are almost the exact same in terms of player type. They’re both NFC quarterbacks with nearly identical skill sets, but Newton is wildly more successful than Kaepernick is. They’re just a year apart in age as well.
Well, Kaep, if you believe in yourself as much as these guys do, 2016 will be a great season.