Kaepernick’s College Coach: ‘Selfish’ Anthem Protest ‘Could Have a Negative Impact on Him’

Chris Ault, who coached Colin Kaepernick at the University of Nevada, is concerned that the 49er quarterback’s National Anthem protest could have lasting career ramifications.

In a letter to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Ault wrote that he found his former player to be “selfish” for using an NFL game to make his statement. He also expressed concern that the act could harm Kaepernick’s NFL future.

“Kap is too young and talented to get written off,” Ault wrote. “And I worry an act like this could have a negative impact on him and his career.

Ault coached Kaepernick at Nevada from 2007-2010, where he started under center for most of his four seasons. The coach made it clear that his issue with Kaepernick’s protest was the timing, not the cause.

I have no problem with Kap using his celebrity to champion or protest a cause for oppressed people of color. Prejudice unfortunately does still exist in our country. Although it’s a sword with two edges, it certainly deserves all the attention we can give it in order to rid all Americans of this terrible injustice.

However, Kap using an NFL game as his platform to show the importance of his cause was selfish. Not standing up for an American treasure such as the National Anthem is disrespectful and clearly has shortchanged the essence of his message because the attention of an uneasy America is on him, not the cause he values.

Read the full letter here, via the Reno Gazette journal.

[h/t NBC Sports]

[image via screengrab]

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