The University of Nevada is preparing to add national anthem protester Colin Kaepernick to its Athletics Hall of Fame, the school announced.
Kaepernick played for the Wolf Pack for four seasons starting in 2006 and earned 82 touchdowns, over 10,000 passing yards, and more than 4,000 rushing yards. Indeed, he was the only player to ever achieve such high numbers, the university said in its Friday announcement.
Kaepernick led the school to a 13-1 season in 2010 and won a WAC conference championship in the doing. The Wolf Pack also won the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and finished on the AP poll as the #11 ranked team in the country.
Kaepernick went on, of course, to a moderately successful NFL career that culminated in 2016 when he became the face of the protests against the country by taking a knee during the national anthem.
“The 2020 Hall of Fame class represents some of the best of the best in Wolf Pack history,” Nevada Athletic Director Doug Knuth said. “This is an incredible collection of accomplished student-athletes and we can’t wait for the opportunity to welcome them back to campus and celebrate their careers.”
The school will not be holding its traditional induction dinner, though, due to worries over the coronavirus. Indeed, the school left a possible future date undetermined and said that there may be an induction ceremony “when it is safer to do so in the future.”
The school chose six student athletes and one trainer to add to its Hall of Fame.
Also to be inducted are: Luke Babbitt (Men’s Basketball, 2008-10), Dellena Criner (Women’s Basketball, 2005-09), Armon Johnson (Men’s Basketball, 2007-10), Dontay Moch (Football, 2006-10), Vai Taua (Football, 2006-10), and school athletic trainer Tony Marek.
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