HOUSTON – Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre shared high praise of Colin Kaepernick and his fight for social justice, saying Kaepernick reminded him of the sacrifice of former NFL player Pat Tillman, who left football for the Army in the wake of 9/11.
Tillman died in 2004 as a result of a friendly fire incident in the mountains of Afghanistan.
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Favre told TMZ Sports in an article published Sunday that he believes both Kaepernick and Tillman will be remembered as legends.
Kaepernick, who kneeled during the National Anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality, has been at the center of controversy, starting in 2016. He played with the San Francisco 49ers until 2017 when he opted out of his contract; the team had planned to cut him. Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since. Read the full timeline of Kaepernick’s protest and career here.
“It’s not easy for a guy his age -- black or white, Hispanic, whatever -- to stop something that you’ve always dreamed of doing, and put it on hold, maybe forever, for something that you believe in,” Favre said. “I can only think of right off the top of my head, Pat Tillman is another guy that did something similar. And, we regard him as a hero. So, I’d assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.”
Kaepernick continues to seek a career in the NFL.