49ers QB Colin Kaepernick on 2011 draft: ‘I definitely haven’t forgot’
Heading into this week’s game against the Tennessee Titans, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick reflected on the 2011 draft and the quarterbacks drafted before him with Bay Area reporters.
Titans starter Jake Locker was chosen 8th overall in that draft, and according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco, Kaepernick finds motivation in that fact.
“It’s something I definitely haven’t forgot,” Kaepernick said.
Apparently Tennessee had interest in Kaepernick, but went with Locker instead.
“I thought I was someone they were interested in,” Kaepernick said. “Whether it was then or later, I didn’t know, but it’s in the past now.”
Tennessee head coach Mike Munchak explained the Titans decision to go with their current starter in a conference call with Bay Area reporters.
“I thought he really had a great feel,” Munchak said. “I know everyone was concerned because they had the spread offense and weren’t conventional under center (at Nevada) like he’s doing now, and everyone’s projecting how he will do. Obviously he’s done very well.”
“I wasn’t surprised all of a sudden he was starting last year and making plays, because of how competitive he was,” Munchak continued. “It was just hard to project when that would happen.”
Also drafted ahead of Kaepernick in 2011 were Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert, Minnesota QB Christian Ponder, and Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton.
Kaepernick was finally chosen 36th overall.
Perhaps it is a trivial motivational tool, but nonetheless it must be nice to be able to prove all of those teams wrong when given the opportunity.