The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is currently suing NFL owners for allegedly colluding to keep him out of the league
Colin Kaepernick has been revealed as the face of Nike’s latest ‘Just Do It’ campaign, a special 30th anniversary of the advertising slogan that has become synonymous with the sportswear brand.
Kaepernick is largely responsible for kickstarting the protests of police brutality and racial injustice in the NFL that began in August 2016 as players started taking a knee during the American national anthem.
Due to his involvement in the widespread movement – which gained even more traction after Donald Trump Donald Trump has called players who “disrespect” the US flag “sons of bitches” and asked for them to be sacked – rather than any actual concerns over his talent, Kaepernick has remained a free agent since opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.
He signed with Nike in 2011 and has been kept on the endorsement roster ever since, although the company did not use him at all over the last two years.
This year the NFL announced that teams whose players who knelt for the national anthem would be fined under a new rule.
BREAKING: Nike had been paying Colin Kaepernick all along, waiting for the right moment. That moment is now, as he becomes the face of the company’s 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign. pic.twitter.com/uccpDStbq5
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 3, 2018
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
Gino Fisanotti, Nike’s vice president of brand for North America, told ESPN: “We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward.”
Other athletes in the 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign include Odell Beckham Jr., Serena Williams and LeBron James, with many taking to social media to show their support for the quarterback, particularly in the NBA community.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSEuEzB0H2/?taken-by=kingjames
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSAQPbhii2/?taken-by=cp3
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSA0TdH47f/?taken-by=teamswish
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnR9cIKhKZ1/?taken-by=ygtrece
