The Kneel: How Colin Kaepernick's Protest Sparked A Revolution

Colin Kaepernick became a trending figure in the 2016-17 National Football League season.

No, not because the quarterback's stats during that season was stellar (his 7.2 yards per pass that year is decent at best).

Not also because the San Francisco 49ers made the Super Bowl (a far cry from the 2012 team that made the NFL final, they finished the 2017 season 2-14).

Kaepernick became prominent for his protests every time the "Star-Spangled Banner" plays in the field.

Those protests nearly cost him his career as he, whose contract with San Francisco expired after the season, was never picked up by any team and remains a free agent.

All that could change on Saturday as the league called a private workout for Kaepernick.

While the Atlanta Falcons may get some sort of an advantage in the Kaepernick Sweepstakes as the workout will be held at their training facility, all the 32 members teams will be represented for the said workout.

So how did we get here?

Aug. 26, 2016

It all started as early as the preseason. When the 49ers hosted the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick was seen still sitting on the bench when the American national anthem was played.

Explaining the gesture to NFL Media's Steve Wyche, Kaepernick said, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Sept. 1, 2016

The following week, the 49ers traveled down south to face the San Diego (now the Los Angeles) Chargers.

When the "Star-Spangled Banner" played before the match, Kaepernick did not sit out the song, but instead, he knelt.

He was not alone as Eric Reid also knelt in the anthem.

Throughout the 2016-17 season

"The Kaepernick Movement" suddenly became a thing all NFL season long.

Players from other teams followed with some even raising their fists.

Then-president Barack Obama also chimed in, saying, "I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about."

Athletes from other sports, like current Reign FC captain Megan Rapinoe, also knelt to the American anthem.

Rapinoe, who is also a member of the US national soccer team, did the "Kaepernick" when Reign took on the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League.

Fast forward to the present time, Rapinoe was named among the Glamour Women of the Year.

However, Rapinoe, in an interview with the Associated Press, could not believe that she was lauded for her advocacy and Kaepernick is not.

March 3, 2017

After a lackluster San Francisco season, Kaepernick opted out of his contract and entered free agency.

But until today, Kaepernick remains unsigned, although as aforementioned, Kaepernick could get signed by any team after his private workout.

Sept. 24, 2017

The new president, Donald Trump, had had enough with the continuous kneeling during the national anthem, tweeting that those who keep on doing so should be "fired" from their jobs, with some reference to his reality show "The Apprentice".

Oct. 15, 2017

While Kaepernick can now be picked up by anyone in the NFL, it wouldn't happen if the grievance case he filed continued to this day.

On the said date, Kaepernick accused all the NFL clubs for collusion to keep him out of the league.

During this time, when the 2017-18 season was approaching its midway point, Kaepernick remained a free agent.

May 23, 2018

The kneeling protests continued, but the NFL team owners tried to put the said act to an end in the NFL on this date when they resolved that kneeling in the national anthem is now prohibited.

However, they gave players an option to stay inside their dugouts while the song is being played if they don't feel so.

The NFL Players Association did not like the new rule and filed a grievance case about it in July.

Both parties resolved to have the new national anthem rule suspended, and that led to more player protests in the ensuing preseason.

Feb. 15, 2019

Kaepernick and the NFL finally made a settlement in the former's grievance case, setting up what could possibly be his comeback.

A month later, ESPN reported that the league paid Kaepernick and Reid, who filed a separate grievance case, a little less than $10 million in total.

Nine months later, Kaepernick will take another step to his NFL return with the private workout.

Also, the quest for equality and an end to oppression continues.