I don't want people to think you have to look a certain way or be a certain mold to be able to be a quarterback.
Interpretation
Anyone can be a quarterback, regardless of their appearance or background.
Colin Kaepernick emphasizes the importance of diversity and individuality in leadership roles, specifically in football. He challenges the stereotype that quarterbacks must fit a certain image or mold, advocating for a broader understanding of what it means to be a leader in the sport.
In practice
This quote can be used during a sports team meeting to inspire players to embrace their uniqueness.
A lot of them have families to feed, and I think it's a tragic situation where players aren't comfortable speaking what's on their mind or what's right because they're afraid of consequences that come along with it. That's not an ideal environment for anybody.
I think that's something that's hard for this country to address, is what the real issues are and coming to the point where we can admit that these are issues. Once we admit that, we can deal with it, we can fix them, and we can make this country and these communities a better place.
Nobody cares if you're black, white, straight, gay, Christian, Jewish, whatever it may be. When you step on that field, you're a member, in my case, the 49ers. That's your job, your occupation.
Its a touchy subject, 'cause I never want to take it there, where it seems like it's all about race. But I feel like that's something that comes along with the territory of being a black quarterback. When you have success - 'Oh, you're a freak athlete.' Not, 'Oh, you're a good quarterback.'
Most people don't want to change. They're comfortable and set in their ways. But in order to change, you have to be able to agitate people at times. And I think that's something that's very necessary for us to improve as a country.
I don't play for job security.
When hiring key employees, there are only two qualities to look for: judgement and taste. Almost everything else can be bought by the yard.
If you give orders and explain nothing, you might get obedience, but you'll get no creativity. If you tell them your purpose, then when your original plan is shown to be faulty, they'll find another way to achieve your goal. Explaining to your men doesn't weaken their respect for you, it proves your respect for them.
I think for leadership positions, emotional intelligence is more important than cognitive intelligence. People with emotional intelligence usually have a lot of cognitive intelligence, but that's not always true the other way around.
I always say that my job is not to think about today. My job is to look around the corner and feel and see what's coming, and then warn everybody else.
You don't like to see your guys take the field without you because it makes you feel like, man, maybe they really don't need me out there, which is kind of humbling.
I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.
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