Colin Kaepernick is well-renowned star in the world of the NFL. Roped in by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, Colin was active in the league for six seasons.
Advertisement
During the early phase of his career, Colin broke several records and quickly established himself as the go-to man for the franchise. He broke the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game as well as in a postseason.
However, his life changed completely when he decided to take a knee when the national anthem was on. As one can expect, his action attracted polarizing reactions with many NFL fans asking Americans to boycott the league.
However, many also came in support of the quarterback claiming that he meant no disrespect to the army through his actions. Nate Boyer, a war hero who made his way to the NFL, recently opened up about what went through his mind while he was standing next to Colin during the national anthem.
Nate Boyer Remembers The day He Stood Next To a Kneeling Colin Kaepernick
Boyer recently made an appearance on the “Getcha Popcorn Ready With T.O. & Hatch” where he talked in detail about what he initially thought about Colin and how his thought process gradually changed.
Boyer claimed that he was incredibly hurt when he first heard Colin’s statement that he doesn’t want to stand for the national anthem of a country which oppresses black people. However, when he went through the complete 18 minute interview, he realized that Colin wasn’t trying to disrespect the army.
Boyer said that when he joined the army, he took the oath to defend the constitution which states that every countryman has the right to free speech. So it doesn’t matter if he likes or dislikes what Colin did, he can have his own opinion about it but that doesn’t mean he would want to censor him.
Post that, Boyer claimed that he wrote an open letter in the Army Times expressing his point of view on the issue. He wrote that it takes incredible amount of courage to do what Colin is doing.
Nate then said that he just couldn’t refuse when he got to know that Colin wants to meet him at the 49ers’ last preseason game against the Chargers. He said that Colin expressed his gratitude towards the military and asked him for his opinion.
Nate said that he told Colin that even if he decides not to kneel today, a lot of people are still going to come hard at him. So he should do what he feels is right.
Boyer ended up standing next to Colin who took a knee when the national anthem played. The veteran said that it was disheartening to listen to all the boos in the stadium when Colin kneeled. Nate went on to add that even if he gets a chance to go back to that day, he wouldn’t change a thing as he is content with what Colin did.
