Colin Kaepernick Will Serve as Honorary Captain for the University of Michigan's Spring Game

Colin Kaepernick.Photo: AFFI/Shutterstock

Colin Kaepernickwill be back on the football field this weekend.

The former NFL quarterback has been named the honorary captain for the University of Michigan’s Maize and Blue spring game, Saturday, the school announced. The scrimmage game, which is free for fans to attend, will be held at Michigan Stadium at noon.

While Kaepernick, 34, isn’t a Michigan alum, he does have a relationship with the Wolverines head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh was coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, during which Kaepernick was a member of the NFL team.

Kaepernick famously hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2017 after he began kneeling while the national anthem played at the beginning of each game to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic oppression during the 2016 season.

Kaepernick and fellow athlete and protester Eric Reid filed grievances with the league in October 2017, accusing owners of colluding to prevent him from signing with a team. The pairsettled with the league in Feb. 2019.

Earlier this month, Kaepernick tweeted that he was seeking receivers to practice with to stay in top shape. “For The past 5 years I’ve been working out and staying ready in case an opportunity to play presented itself. I’m really grateful to my trainer, who I’ve been throwing to all this time. But man, do I miss throwing to professional route runners,” he wrote at the time. “Who’s working?? I will pull up.”

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett was one of the players that responded, training with Kaepernick.

Later, a trainer that worked with Kaepernick —David Robinson —told TMZthat “at least” five NFL teams reached out in the wake of a session he held with the athlete in March.

“A few teams have … asked how his arm looked,” Robinson claimed. “They have reached out and asked about him.”

source: people.com