College prospects spend months preparing to explain their film, demonstrate their athleticism, and convince an NFL team to draft them. According to Colin Kaepernick, some teams have also needed an answer about him.
During an appearance on "Armchair Expert," the former quarterback described an interview process that could veer far beyond football. He said his own name eventually became part of that after his protest.
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Colin Kaepernick Details Questions That Went Beyond Football
"The interviews, they are a free-for-all. They are wide-ranging," Kaepernick said
.
He recalled legitimate football evaluations during his own draft process, including a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. Other interviews, he explained, included deeply personal questions that had already attracted public attention.
"There's other interviews, and these have been reported on, where it's like, 'Hey, are you gay?'"
He followed with another example.
"Is your mother a prostitute?"
The questions drew audible disbelief from the hosts. Kaepernick emphasized that these were "real questions from the combine," then described how the questioning expanded following his demonstrations.
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"After 2016 and the protest, 'How do you feel about Colin Kaepernick?'"
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Kaepernick did not identify the teams or prospects involved in that question during the excerpt. He also did not specify which draft classes encountered it or establish that teams are still asking it today.
Even with those details left open, his account raises a pointed question about the interview process. A prospect preparing to discuss coverages could find himself explaining his views on another player's protest, with a potential employer listening to every word.
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Kaepernick's name has continued to surface in football discussions, including debate over a potential Giants opportunity
earlier this season.
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Kaepernick Recalls the 49ers Keeping His Interview About Football
Kaepernick specifically described his meeting with San Francisco as "purely football."
The questions tested his understanding of an offense, how he recognized coverage, and why he chose particular reads. Evaluators wanted him to explain the decisions behind the plays.
"Here's your offense. Here's this coverage. What are your reads? Why are you going through it? Why are you making these decisions?" he recalled.
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There was also a memory test.
"Well, here's our playbook. Repeat this play back to us."
That presented an adjustment for Kaepernick. He explained that his college offense used frequent sideline signals and short play calls, making the unfamiliar terminology another challenge during an already demanding evaluation.
San Francisco ultimately selected him No. 36 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.
His recollection showed how much teams could learn by asking him to explain football. The questions about sexuality, family, and protests left listeners with a much harder task: figuring out what any answer was supposed to reveal about playing on Sundays.
This article originally appeared on
Pro Football Network
.
