Colin Kaepernick's net worth, parents, wife: where is he now?

Colin Kaepernick's net worth, parents, wife: where is he now?

Kevin Omuya, Cyprine Apindi
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:03 PM

Colin Kaepernick is one of America's top anti-racism and civil rights champions. He is also a successful football player. Some people may consider him a controversial public figure.

Colin Kaepernick
ABC News Studios hosts a screening event of Killing County" from Executive Producer Colin Kaepernick in Burbank, California. Photo: Phil McCarten/ABC via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Colin Kaepernick is known to many as a civil rights activist and athlete. He is also a producer who is passionate about multiple social issues. Did you know he played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons? Discover more about him today.

Profile summary

Full name

Colin Rand Kaepernick

Nicknames

Pig Socks, Kap, and Jafar

Gender

Male

Date of birth

3rd November 1987

Age

35 years (as of 2023)

Place of birth

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America

Current residence

New York City, United States of America

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

African-American

Zodiac sign

Scorpio

Religion

Christianity

Sexuality

Straight

Height in feet

6’ 4”

Height in centimetres

194

Weight in pounds

230

Weight in kilograms

104

Hair colour

Dark brown

Eye colour

Dark brown

Relationship status

Dating

Partner

Nessa Diab

Children

1

Birth mother

Heidi Russo

Adoptive mother

Teresa Kaepernick

Adoptive father

Rick Kaepernick

Siblings

2

Alma mater

John H. Pitman High School and University of Nevada

Profession

Civil rights activist, producer, and football quarterback

Facebook

@Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick's Instagram

@kaepernick7

Twitter

@Kaepernick7

Who is Colin Kaepernick?

Colin Rand Kaepernick, alias Pig Socks, Kap, and Jafar, is a civil rights activist, producer, and football quarterback. People know him as an NFL athlete. He recently made headlines for addressing issues related to racism.

How old is Colin Kaepernick?

The civil rights activist is 35 years old as of 2023. He was born on 3rd November 1987, and his Zodiac sign is Scorpio.

Where is Colin Kaepernick from?

The civil rights activist and NFL athlete was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America. He is now based in New York City, United States of America, and his nationality is American.

Colin Kaepernick's ethnicity
The civil rights activist participates in a throwing exhibition during halftime of the Michigan spring football game at Michigan Stadium. Photo: Jaime Crawford/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Who are Colin Kaepernick's parents?

The athlete's birth mother is Heidi Russo. Heidi gave birth to him at 19. At the time, she was young and poor, so she gave up her son for adoption at five weeks.

The athlete's birth father had abandoned Heidi before she gave birth. Kap was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick. The Kaepernicks adopted him after losing two other sons to heart defects.

He was raised by his adoptive parents alongside his siblings. At four, his family relocated to California, where he grew up.

Who are Colin Kaepernick's siblings?

Rick and Teresa are parents of two other children. The NFL athlete has an older brother named Kyle and an older sister named Devon.

What is Colin Kaepernick's ethnicity?

The athlete's ethnicity is African-American. His birth mother is White. On the other hand, his birth father is a black American of Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ivorian ancestry.

What is Colin Kaepernick's religion?

Kap is a Christian. He was baptised Methodist and confirmed Lutheran. He attended a Baptist church during his college years. He is a Christian who credits all his life's successes to God.

Educational background

The athlete went to John H. Pitman High School. He received a sports scholarship from the University of Nevada, Reno. He graduated in December 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management.

Was Colin Kaepernick good at football?

Yes, he was. Kap started playing football when he was eight years old. He played as a defensive end and punter.

At nine, he became the starting quarterback on his youth team, and he completed his first pass for a long touchdown. He also played basketball in high school.

Career

NFL's Colin Kaepernick started his career in high school, where he received accolades as a baseball pitcher. His desire was to become a professional football player, so he accepted an offer from the University of Nevada, Reno, to play college football.

He started his college career in 2007 as a back-up quarterback for the university's Wolf Pack team. He played college football until 2010 and recorded impressive wins and career stats. He ended his senior season with 3,022 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, and 20 rushing touchdowns.

His professional football career started on 29th April 2011 when he signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He was Alex Smith's back-up in the 2011 season and attempted five passes in three games.

Why did Colin Kaepernick retire? The athlete did not retire. On 3rd March 2017, he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers and became a free agent. This move followed his controversial kneeling as the American national anthem was played before a match.

His on-field political statements were pretty controversial. Some argued it affected his performance.

In October 2017, Kap filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing the officials of colluding to keep him out of the league. On 15th February 2019, it was announced that the athlete reached a confidential settlement with the NFL and withdrew the grievance.

The athlete is yet to sign a contract with any NFL team since the kneeling incident. In May 2022, the athlete worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Derek Carr appeared to be supportive of the possibility that he would be added to the roster. The Colin Kaepernick - Raiders collaboration did not go through as he did not sign a contract with the team.

Activism

Just before the 2016 season, Kap used his social media platforms to comment on the fatal shootings of Philando Castile, Charles Kinsey, and Alton Sterling. During a preseason match, he sat when The Star-Spangled Banner played.

Traditionally, people stand when The Star-Spangled Banner plays. After the game, he said he sat in protest of the oppression of people of colour in America.

During the 49ers' fourth and final preseason game, he kneeled during the American national anthem to show more respect to former and current American military members. The move was also a way of protesting.

Later, photos of him wearing socks depicting police officers as pigs surfaced. He acknowledged wearing them as a statement against rogue police. He also clarified that there are good cops in his home country.

Kap went on to kneel during the anthem prior to every 49ers game that season. His protests faced backlash from fans and critics.

Following the backlash, he pledged a $1 million donation to organisations fighting for oppressed persons. He also donated $25,000 to the Mothers Against Police Brutality organisation and has supported similar causes since then,

In 2016, Kap and his partner Nessa founded the Know Your Rights Camp organisation. The organisation holds free seminars for disadvantaged youths to teach them about self-empowerment, American history, and legal rights.

The organisation's activities were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He donated money to keep it afloat. His activism efforts continue to date.

Producer credits

The footballer has three producer credits, as documented in the table below.

Production

Year

Credit

2018 Nike Commercial Starring Colin Kaepernick

2018

Executive producer

Colin in Black & White

2021

Executive producer

Killing County

2022- 2023

Executive producer

Colin in Black & White was Colin Kaepernick's Netflix debut. Besides being the executive producer, he was the showrunner. The six-episode show dramatises Kap's teenage years and the experiences that led him to become an activist.

What is Colin Kaepernick's net worth in 2023?

The NFL athlete is worth an estimated $20 million. Most of his wealth comes from his football career.

How Much Does Colin Kaepernick make now? His annual salary when playing was about $12.4 million. Details of his current earnings are scarce in the public domain.

Who is Colin Kaepernick's wife?

The civil rights activist is not married. However, he is in a long-term relationship with Nessa Diab, a television and radio host. The two have been together since 2015. In August 2022, the couple disclosed that they had welcomed their first child together.

In the past, the NFL athlete was romantically linked to Brittany Renner, Blac Chyna, Monica Hargrove, Stephanie Santiago, Teyana Taylor, Stacy Dazzle, and Sanaa Lathan.

What happened to Kaepernick?

In 2016, the athlete knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. Shortly after, opted out of his contract with the Francisco 49ers.

He has not been able to land another job with any NFL team since the incident. In April 2022, he said he is motivated to come back to the league to win a Super Bowl.

He dismissed concerns he would be a distraction in the NFL and asserted he was ready to make a comeback as a back-up quarterback.

What does Colin Kaepernick do for a living now?

Kap is a civil rights activist and producer. He is also hopeful that he will return to the NFL soon.

He recently unveiled his graphic novel, which he is currently promoting. During one of his promotions, he called out his White adoptive parents for racism.

He accused them of perpetuating racism in their household. Following his remarks, the football world was saddened by Kap's admission of his parents.

How tall is Colin Kaepernick?

The civil rights activist is 6’ 4” or 194 centimetres tall and weighs about 230 pounds or 104 kilograms. He has dark brown hair and eyes.

Trivia

  • Kap loves and collects sneakers. He owns over 300 pairs of sneakers.
  • He was declared Northern California athlete of the week as a pitcher on his high school team.
  • He started following a vegan diet in 2015.
  • He filed a patent to secure an exclusive right to his signature touchdown celebration. His signature move is flexing and kissing the bicep of his right arm, commonly called Kaepernicking.
  • He has a large tattoo of angels fighting against demons on his back.
  • He has a pet tortoise named Sammy.

Colin Kaepernick made his NFL debut against Philadelphia Eagles in October 2011. The star is now a civil rights activist and producer known for his passionate fight against racism.

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Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.
Cyprine Apindi photo
Cyprine Apindi
Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and reporter with over 4 years of experience based in Kenya. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from Kenyatta University.