Colin Kaepernick Is Representing Nevada Well

When Colin Kaepernick defeated Green Bay with his arm and legs last Saturday, there was a huge sense of school pride that I felt after the game. I went to the University of Nevada Reno. I was there to witness Colin Kaepernick play for the Nevada Wolf Pack football team during his first two seasons as quarterback. It would my last two years at the school. When I graduated, I would continue to follow Kaepernick closely especially his senior season, when he gave Nevada its best season in school history. Every time I watched Kaepernick, I felt school pride because he was making Nevada football entertaining and many times he helped the team win. I would never forget watching his last game in person at AT&T Park when he and the Wolf Pack beat Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

            I would never forget saying to my dad after Kaepernick’s last college game about how great it would be if the 49ers drafted him. I was a Wolf Pack fan and a 49ers fan. I enjoyed cheering on Kaepernick while I was in college and so I liked the thought of continuing to cheer him on while with the 49ers, the team I grew up rooting for.  It would have been weird for me having to cheer against him if he had played for another team.  As fate would have it, Kaepernick would get drafted by the 49ers and I was excited.

            I knew Kaepernick would not be the 49ers starting quarterback right away but I knew that once he was given a chance, no matter how briefly the opportunity was, he would make the most of his opportunity. That’s what happened at Nevada. Kaepernick was not the starting quarterback at the beginning of his freshmen season at Nevada. It was not until mid season his freshmen year when Nevada’s starter got injured that Kaepernick got the chance to start. He made the most of his opportunity and never looked back. He would do so well filling in as starting quarterback that even when the other quarterback came back from injury, Kaepernick would never give up the starting job.  I predicted the same thing would happen in the NFL with the 49ers. I said to people that if an injury happened to Alex Smith, that Kaepernick was going to fill in and do so great that he would remain the starting quarterback. Well, my predictions were right. Kaepernick filled in for Alex Smith and he never looked back.  While I am happy for the way Kaepernick has played, I would be lying if I say I was surprised.  Not after what I saw him do in college. I knew he would have success before most people did.

            Now Kaepernick is getting ready for the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons.  Not only will I be rooting for Kaepernick as a 49er fan but I will be cheering for him as a fellow Wolf Pack student from the University of Nevada.  Not only does Kaepernick succeeding help my 49ers, its helps the Wolf Pack get name recognition around the country. It’s the best of both worlds for me.