sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Colin Kaepernick Becomes Face Of Nike's 'Just Do It' Campaign

Colin Kaepernick Becomes Face Of Nike's 'Just Do It' Campaign

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has been an outcast in NFL since he started taking a knee during the US national anthem.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

With the NFL season starting on Thursday it's a player who hasn't played in the league for the last two years who has made the biggest headline with Colin Kaepernick being named the new face of Nike's latest ad campaign.

Kaepernick was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers between 2011 and 2016 but hasn't played since becoming a free agent in 2017, down in part to his controversial protests.

In a pre-season game in 2016 Kaepernick decided to sit during the American national anthem in protest, as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, saying after the match, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

After a conversation with a war veteran the QB decided to kneel during the anthem to be more respectful whilst still continuing his protest.

The move caused a wide split in opinions, with many complaining that it was disrespectful to the anthem and the American flag and generally missing the point of the protest, and Kaepernick found himself without a team.

Now he has signed a new deal with his sponsor Nike, despite still having no team, that makes him the face of the 30th anniversary 'Just Do It' advertising campaign by Nike.

The move has unsurprisingly proved polarasing with many backing the move but Kaepernick detractors claiming that they will be boycotting Nike, some hilariously misunderstanding a boycott by cutting up their already bought items of clothing.

According to Bleacher Report, 'Kaepernick will have his own branded line including shoes, shirts, jerseys and more,' under the new Nike deal.

The slogan 'Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,' certainly seems apt considering the 30 year old has been without a team for over a year and he has filed a collusion grievance against the league.


Featured Image Credit:

Topics: American sport, American Football, NFL News, NFL, Nike, USA