ESPY Awards 2013: Colin Kaepernick Wins Best Breakthrough Athlete

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has won the award for best breakthrough athlete at the 2013 ESPY awards.

Kaepernick broke into the NFL in 2011 after playing for the University of Nevada collegiality as a backup to Alex Smith. He started 2012, again, as a backup, but was able to win the starting gig after Smith went down with an injury. Smith eventually returned, but Kapernick was able to lock down the starting job by that point.

Kapernick lead the 49ers to their first superbowl since 1994, where they were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens. In his first postseason game, he set an NFL record for most rushing yards in history with 181.

Kaepernick finished 2012 with a 62.4 completion percentage, 10 touchdowns, 76.8 total QBR, and a 98.3 passer rating. He looks to lead the 49ers into the future. He beat out several worthy opponents, including the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig and the Angels’ Mike Trout.