Colin Kaepernick Only Had One Football Scholarship Offer in High School – Notre Dame and Others Wanted Him to Play Baseball

All, NFL, Recruiting Jason McIntyre January 21st. 2013, 4:25pm

Colin Kaepernick has started 10 games as an NFL QB, and his 11th will be in the Super Bowl for the 49ers.

Who is this 2nd round draft pick, and why didn’t you hear more about him in college?

A 6-foot-4, wiry 172-pound QB as a teenager, Kaepernick was virtually unrecruited out of John H. Pitman High School in Turlock, California. Nevada went hard after him, and had little competition – a couple Pac-12 schools, UTEP and Wyoming were interested, but only the Wolfpack offered him a scholarship … with the intent of playing him at safety.

(How good of an athlete was Kaepernick? He was an All-State nominee in football, basketball and baseball as a senior.)

Kaepernick could have actually played college baseball – he got a partial scholarship offer to Notre Dame after the Irish were intrigued by his 92 mph fastball and two no-hitters during his senior year.

But Kaepernick choose Nevada, and redshirted in 2006. After the Wolfpack’s starting QB got hurt in the opener in 2007, coach Chris Ault went with Kaepernick, who took the job and racked up a 19-3 TD-QB ratio. He never lost the job.

While in college, Kaepernick didn’t draw much attention from the NFL “pundits,” but MLB teams were still salivating over his heater, and the Cubs drafted him in the 43rd round in 2009.

aroundtheweb

44 Responses to “Colin Kaepernick Only Had One Football Scholarship Offer in High School – Notre Dame and Others Wanted Him to Play Baseball”

1
Babar 2.0 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:30 PM
There was a 49er fan on this site, maybe Ballz…who hated the draft day trade by the Niners to get Kaepernick. He wanted them to stay put.
That’s why Trent Baalke should be GM of the year…because he knows more than Ballz.
2
VladimirCrouton Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:32 PM
Who was the GM when Mike Nolan and Singletary coached? Whoever it was drafted well.
3
Babar 2.0 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:34 PM
My mistake…it was jck49erfan:
I’ve spent the last 3 days listening to people talk me in to Aldon Smith and Kaepernick, and I just can’t get excited. I thought we needed more quality secondary help, and I still think we could have waited to draft Kaepernick and not have traded away any additional picks.
4
Babar 2.0 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:36 PM
More from 49er fan Broccoli Beef:
Well said jck49erfan, totally agree. I really wouldn’t have minded seeing them take Prince at #7 and then kaeprnick in the 2nd without trading any picks. Word (for what’s worth) is that the Raiders were going to trade up to take him and that’s why SF made their move like they did to nab him.
(what he said about the Raiders was true)
5
Nada Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:37 PM
Apropo of nothing in this post: Pussy Riot is the greatest name ever for a girl band.
6
Fernando Vidal Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:41 PM
More from 49er fan Broccoli Beef:
Actually he’s a Steelers fan.
7
Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:41 PM
I’ve spent the last 3 days listening to people talk me in to Aldon Smith and Kaepernick, and I just can’t get excited. I thought we needed more quality secondary help, and I still think we could have waited to draft Kaepernick and not have traded away any additional picks.
That’s up there with me proclaiming Avatar would be a bomb.
8
KC Resident Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:42 PM
but MLB teams were still salivating over his heater, and the Cubs drafted him in the 43rd round in 2009.
I don’t know dick about baseball, but being the 43rd round pick mean he was skipped at least 1000 times?
9
KC Resident Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:43 PM
I’ve spent the last 3 days listening to people talk me in to Aldon Smith and Kaepernick, and I just can’t get excited. I thought we needed more quality secondary help, and I still think we could have waited to draft Kaepernick and not have traded away any additional picks.
That’s up there with me proclaiming Avatar would be a bomb.
That’s up there with me proclaiming Saint Self was a bad hire for KU back when he was hired.
10
Nada Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:45 PM
only the Wolfpack offered him a scholarship … with the intent of playing him at safety
Did not know Mack Brown had coached at Nevada.
11
VladimirCrouton Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:45 PM
I don’t know dick about baseball, but being the 43rd round pick mean he was skipped at least 1000 times?
That doesn’t really mean much. If teams don’t think they can sign a kid out of high school he drops like that.
12
s1rweeze Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:46 PM
I’ve spent the last 3 days listening to people talk me in to Aldon Smith and Kaepernick, and I just can’t get excited. I thought we needed more quality secondary help, and I still think we could have waited to draft Kaepernick and not have traded away any additional picks.
That’s a nice find. Similarly, I absolutely HATED the Vikings taking Percy Harvin.
13
Jim Harbaugh Scramble Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Who is this 2nd round draft pick, and why didn’t you hear more about him in college?
he was talked about plenty in college. just had to stay up late as NV was not playing many afternoon games.
14
Nada Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:46 PM
being the 43rd round pick mean he was skipped at least 1000 times?
Wasn’t Piazza drafted in the 60th-something round, and only as a favor because Lasorda was his godfather or something?
15
squawkbox Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:47 PM
That’s why Trent Baalke should be GM of the year…because he knows more than ~~Ballz~~ Squawkbox.
With that wind up of a motion he had coming out of college, I thought he’d be an interception machine. Whoever fixed that throwing motion is the coach of the year.
/full disclosure’d
16
KC Resident Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:47 PM
That doesn’t really mean much. If teams don’t think they can sign a kid out of high school he drops like that.
Thanks, Vlad. Makes sense.
17
sctrojans Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:48 PM
Mack Brown wanted him to play rush lb. No way SC loses to Ore St with Kaep instead of JMac’s bff
18
squawkbox Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:48 PM
being the 43rd round pick mean he was skipped at least 1000 times
Good math. Good effort.
19
Clayton Cargill Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:50 PM
Who is this 2nd round draft pick, and why didn’t you hear more about him in college?
I guess because you only watch Notre Dame games. This guy was a huge deal for both of his last 2 seasons. A huge deal. Everybody knew his name (but you)
20
angry Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:50 PM
MLB teams were still salivating over his heater, and the Cubs drafted him in the 43rd round in 2009.
43rd round = salivating? Sounds more like a “we have to take someone” sort of pick.
21
s1rweeze Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:51 PM
Wasn’t Piazza drafted in the 60th-something round, and only as a favor because Lasorda was his godfather or something?
+1 back zit
22
Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:53 PM
Wasn’t Piazza drafted in the 60th-something round, and only as a favor because Lasorda was his godfather or something?
All the teams kept reading the scouting report of “Potential to be all time great catcher” to be in reference to his personal life.
23
oskie Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:54 PM
I’ve spent the last 3 days listening to people talk me in to Aldon Smith and Kaepernick, and I just can’t get excited. I thought we needed more quality secondary help, and I still think we could have waited to draft Kaepernick and not have traded away any additional picks.
That’s up there with me proclaiming Avatar would be a bomb.
That’s up there with me proclaiming Saint Self was a bad hire for KU back when he was hired.
I said Hasheem Thabeet would be the next Mutombo…
24
Babar 2.0 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:56 PM
While in college, Kaepernick didn’t draw much attention from the NFL “pundits,”
(JMac today)
All the pundits love Kaepernick, and if he’s as good as advertised, the 49ers could win the division.
(JMac after the draft in 2011)
25
Nada Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:57 PM
Piazza:
the Miami-Dade Community College student was drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft as the 1,390th player picked overall in the draft
26
Clayton Cargill Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:57 PM
43rd round = salivating? Sounds more like a “we have to take someone” sort of pick.
if you’re pressing a storyline that the 37th pick in the draft is somehow a forgotten guy when a team traded up to get him, you have to give that story some ancillary facts.
Colin Kaepernick, virtual unknown that nobody believed in, could have been anything he wanted, but he wanted to be a quarterback. But no NFL team believed he could. The whole first night of the draft he sat with an open bible at the tattoo parlor, pointing out inscriptions to numb the pain in his mind…
27
Babar 2.0 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:58 PM
I’m getting a lot of run out of that one post from 2011.
Also, apologies to Broccoli Beef for calling him a niner fan…I know he lives in the Bay Area, but forgot he likes his peen grey.
28
Nada Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 4:59 PM
While in college, Kaepernick didn’t draw much attention from the NFL “pundits,”
(JMac today)
All the pundits love Kaepernick, and if he’s as good as advertised, the 49ers could win the division.
(JMac after the draft in 2011)
“Pretty elite for a third-rounder who was an unknown coming out of college.”
(JMac 2012)
/ Oops, wrong QB
29
ButtersBC Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:03 PM
I guess because you only watch Notre Dame games. This guy was a huge deal for both of his last 2 seasons. A huge deal. Everybody knew his name (but you)
Considering the hard-on this site’s got for Boise State you’d think he’d remember the guy who helped derail that one team’s run to the championship game, unless history has rewritten it to where the FG kicker was solely responsible
30
YYSA Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:04 PM
unless history has rewritten it to where the FG kicker was solely responsible
Why else would goal posts have microphones attached to them?
31
sctrojans Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:05 PM
Boise State
Kaep is one of Craig James’ favorite players
32
Ty_Webb Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:06 PM
Considering the hard-on this site’s got for Boise State you’d think he’d remember the guy who helped derail that one team’s run to the championship game, unless history has rewritten it to where the FG kicker was solely responsible
“Hey Rodgers, discount double check”!
33
Faulkner Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:13 PM
I guess because you only watch Notre Dame games. This guy was a huge deal for both of his last 2 seasons. A huge deal. Everybody knew his name (but you)
This guy and his coach were all the buzz among the football junkie set.
34
jck49erfan owes Watsonian $650 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:13 PM
Well….shit.
35
jck49erfan owes Watsonian $650 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:16 PM
A buddy of mine never lets me forget I said all that either. In other news, I liked Mirer over Bledsoe and Leaf over Manning too.
I’ll say it for you guys….
“You know nothing, Jon Snow”
36
Ty_Webb Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:18 PM
A buddy of mine never lets me forget I said all that either. In other news, I liked Mirer over Bledsoe and Leaf over Manning too.
so you are John Gruden?!?!
37
ButtersBC Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:20 PM
I still choose to believe that Joey Harrington was the victim of the teams he played for and had true Pro Bowl talent there to be molded
38
otis sistrunk Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:26 PM
Jck49er was right about needing secondary help. If the smiths don’t get to flacco like they didn’t get to ryan unibrow throws for 300 and at least 2td
/he’s elite now did you hear?
39
hussler2 Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:29 PM
Jck49er was right about needing secondary help. If the smiths don’t get to flacco like they didn’t get to ryan unibrow throws for 300 and at least 2td
The Niners secondary is not that bad – it’s easy to look that bad when you’re getting absolutely no pressure, at all.
That idiot Pete Prisco kept referring to the Niners defense being overrated because they have the 30th lowest sack rate in the NFL, but part of that is by design: I would guess the Niners blitz less than any other NFL team. As a result, they give up fewer big plays.
40
otis sistrunk Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 5:46 PM
Gamblers knew about colin and the wolfpack
41
rondoman Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 6:02 PM
FACTCHECK!!!!
Colins 10th start will be the Super Bowl. You stated he has already started 10 games and the Super Bowl will be his 11th start. Sorry Hans, wrong guess!
42
got_em_looking Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 6:06 PM
So the point here is that we should’ve heard more about Kaep and he should’ve received more scholarship offers in the 2005 because in 2013 he will be playing in the super bowl? ok got it
Now which little known lightly recruited QB should we be hearing more about because we know he’ll be in the superbowl in 2020?
43
Nada Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 6:21 PM
Now which little known lightly recruited QB should we be hearing more about because we know he’ll be in the superbowl in 2020?
Nick Montana
44
Some Random Old Dude Says:
January 21st, 2013 at 6:24 PM
he got a partial scholarship offer to Notre Dame after the Irish were intrigued by his 92 mph fastball and two no-hitters during his senior year.
…and with PEDs, maybe he gets that fastball up to 93-96…
/I keed, I keed
I said Hasheem Thabeet would be the next Mutombo…
Oh, what might have been. I thought so too.