San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s childhood dream came true before our very eyes.
A letter Kaepernick wrote to himself when he was 10 years old was printed recently by the San Francisco Chronicle.
He wrote, “I’m 5 ft 2 inches 91 pounds. Good athlete. I think in 7 years I will be between 6ft to 6 ft 4 inches 140 pounds. I hope I go to a good college…then go to the pros and play on the Niners or the Packers even if they aren’t good in seven years…Sincerely Colin.”
His hope became reality in 2011, when the 49ers traded up with the Denver Broncos in the second round and selected Kaepernick 36th overall.
After starting quarterback Alex Smith’s concussion in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams in week 10, Kaepernick entered the game and led the 49ers to a tie. He finished the rest of the season as the starter with a 5-2 record.
Born in Wisconsin, Kaepernick moved to Turlock, Calif. with his adoptive parents, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, at the age of four. His parents had lost two children to congenital heart disease before adopting Colin, who is now heavily involved in Camp Taylor, an organization that helps children with heart diseases.
Nevada offered him a scholarship despite concerns that he would choose professional baseball over playing for the Wolf Pack. The Chicago Cubs drafted Kaepernick in the 43rd round of the 2009 draft, but he continued to follow his football dream.
Kaepernick became the first player in NCAA history to have three consecutive seasons in which he threw for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. He is also the only quarterback to have passed for 10,000-plus yards and to have rushed for 4,000-plus yards in the history of Division I FBS college football.
In 2007, Kaepernick won Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2010.
At the time the San Quentin News went to press, Kaepernick was fresh off a win over the Green Bay Packers, in which he threw two touchdowns and ran a record-setting 181 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run. He is preparing to compete in the Niners’ second NFC championship in as many years, versus the Atlanta Falcons.
