Quotes by Colin Kaepernick

The NFL is a performance-based business, so you should have to perform to earn some of your money. At the same time, I realize that my success isnt just because of what I do out there.

I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put their selves in harms way for my freedom of speech and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee, so I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.

I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.

I have great respect for peoples right to believe what they want to believe. And I dont think anybody should be prosecuted or judged based on what their beliefs are.

My dad, being a businessman, constantly talked to me about carrying myself in a certain way and treating people with respect. And I think thats something thats carried over throughout my life. Its how I deal with certain situations.

I have great respect for the religion. I know a lot of people that are Muslim and are phenomenal people.

All my life, Ive had these flashbacks, these dreams, nightmares, daymares, like visions, where I relive certain plays. Only the bad plays. I see them over and over, as if somebodys rewinding a tape and forcing me to watch.

I dont watch too much TV when it comes to sports or news or things like that.

It was just something - I didnt agree with what the flag was representing at this time, and you know, if you look at the original picture where people addressed it, I was trying to sit behind the coolers and out of the way, cause I didnt want to interrupt anybody elses right to stand and hold attention to the flag.

Victor Cruz just got his deal with Givenchy - amazing. I was so excited for him. That was amazing. So I think there are great opportunities for a lot of athletes out there.

It is funny to me that because I can run, because Im athletic, people tend to see that as my only asset.

My parents told me from the time I can remember that, Yeah, youre adopted. But this is your family. I can remember my mom, she tells me this story: when I was little, I was looking at her, and I was like, Why isnt my skin the same color as yours? She was like, Oh, youre adopted, but I wish I had pretty brown skin like you.

We have a lot of people that are oppressed. We have a lot of people that arent treated equally, arent given equal opportunities. Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about, need to be brought to life, and we need to fix those.

People dont realize whats really going on in this country. There are a lot things that are going on that are unjust. People arent being held accountable for. And thats something that needs to change. Thats something that this country stands for: freedom, liberty and justice for all.

This stand wasnt because I feel like Im being put down in any kind of way. This is because Im seeing things happen to people that dont have a voice: people that dont have a platform to talk and have their voices heard and affect change. So Im in the position where I can do that, and Im going to do that for people that cant.

Theres a lot of things that need to change. One specifically? Police brutality.

Most people dont want to change. Theyre comfortable and set in their ways. But in order to change, you have to be able to agitate people at times. And I think thats something thats very necessary for us to improve as a country.

People are dying in vain because this country isnt holding their end of the bargain up as far as, you know, giving freedom and justice and liberty to everybody.