'I Was Disappointed': Army Veteran Opens Up About Kaepernick Ahead Of U-M Appearance

When the U-M Football Program announced that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick would serve as the honorary captain for last Saturday's Spring Game, the reaction among the fanbase was mixed...to say the least.

Football Family.

Excited to share the field with our honorary captain for Saturday's Maize and Blue Spring Game, @Kaepernick7 #GoBlue 〽 pic.twitter.com/2H6Yj2Ivwl
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) March 30, 2022

While some fans praised the move as "brilliant", other fans declared they were giving up their Michigan fandom altogether. Regardless of where you stood on his presence in Ann Arbor, it's clear that Kaepernick is still very much a controversial figure in the sports world and beyond.

As Michigan fans spent the days leading up to the Spring Game arguing over U-M's choice for honorary captain, I reached out to someone who spoke with directly with Kaepernick about his controversial protest during his time in the NFL - Nate Boyer.

Boyer, a United States Army Green Beret veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, penned an open letter to Kaepernick back in 2016. In the letter which was first published by the Army Times, Boyer explained the importance of symbols like the American flag and National Anthem.

"The only time I got to stand on the sideline for the anthem was during my one and only NFL preseason game, against the Denver Broncos," wrote Boyer. As I ran out of the tunnel with the American flag I could feel myself swelling with pride, and as I stood on the sideline with my hand on my heart as the anthem began, that swelling burst into tears."

After serving six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Boyer played college football at the University of Texas (2010-11) and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.

For Boyer, Kaepernick's protest by sitting during the anthem was difficult to make sense of, particularly when compared to his own experiences.

"I thought about how far I’d come and the men I’d fought alongside who didn’t make it back," wrote Boyer. "I thought about those overseas who were risking their lives at that very moment. I selfishly thought about what I had sacrificed to get to where I was, and while I knew I had little to no chance of making the Seahawks’ roster as a 34-year-old rookie, I was trying.

"That moment meant so much more to me than even playing in the game did, and to be honest, if I had noticed my teammate sitting on the bench, it would have really hurt me."

Shortly after publishing the open-letter, Boyer received an invitation from Kaepernick to meet in person. It was the night before the 49ers played in San Diego and Boyer was shooting a feature for NFL Network roughly three hours away. After accepting the meeting, Kaepernick sent a car to pick up Boyer and drive him the three hours to San Diego.

It was during this meeting that Boyer made a suggestion to Kaepernick about taking a knee during the anthem.

"If you're committed to not standing, I think being along side your teammates is the most important thing," Boyer said. "The only action that made sense from where I stand is taking a knee. It's a sign of respect. People kneel to pray, propose to their future spouse. When a player on the football field is injured, other players take a knee out of respect. When I go to Arlington to visit my fallen brothers, I take a knee in front of their graves to pay respect. I think it's a powerful gesture."

Of course, Kaepernick's protest of taking a knee during the anthem wasn't well-received by many who mistakenly viewed it as a sign of disrespect. In fact, former President of the United States, Donald Trump, singled out Kaepernick several times throughout his many years spent on the campaign trail.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now,' said Trump during a rally in Alabama. "'Out! He's fired. He's fired!' You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, 'That guy that disrespects our flag, he's fired.' And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they'll be the most popular person in this country."

Boyer's message is quite different from that of the former President of the United States. As opposed to anger and outrage, Boyer preaches a very different concept that seems so difficult these days: listening to one another.

"When I first heard that, I was disappointed. I thought, 'you live in America, you live in the greatest country in the world. The freedoms that a lot of other people don't experience - the oppression here is not the same as the oppression in a lot of other parts of the world.'

"In retrospect, that wasn't fair. My experience is not like anybody else's. There's plenty of people in this country of all colors that face different challenges that I don't understand - that felt oppressed, who do feel oppressed, who don't feel equal."

For those within the Michigan fan base who found themselves frustrated by U-M's decision to host Kaepernick as an honorary captain, Boyer offered this perspective.

"If we can at least listen to each other and speak respectfully to one another, we're going to find common ground - we're going find places like Colin and I through our conversations," said Boyer. "I think its just as simple as truly giving each and every person a chance, regardless of their story, perceptions or preconceived notions you might have about them. At the end of the day, we're so much more similar than we are different. Things that have happened to us in life, often times challenges or obstacles, those are what really shape us and make us who we are - and the things that we feel strongly and passionate about. The things that we want to fight for.

"It just comes down to respect," said Boyer. "Just respect one another, treat each other in a kind manner and understand that, at the end of the day, I think most people are just trying to make the world a better place.

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