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Almost 10 years have passed since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers on September 1, 2016.
Before ever taking a knee, Kaepernick’s protest actually began when he remained seated during the national anthem prior to the 49ers’ first preseason game against the Houston Texans on August 14.
Although he did the same the following week against the Denver Broncos, few took notice, as the quarterback didn’t suit up against Denver or Houston.
That all changed on August 26. Kaepernick was back in uniform and set to make his first preseason appearance against the Green Bay Packers. As he had done before the previous two games, he remained seated during the national anthem.
