STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Listen: Rodney Harrison Blasts Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem Stance, Says 'He's Not Black' and Gets Dragged

The backlash led the ex-NFL star to make this public apology.

Colin Kaepernick sitting during the National Anthem last week continues to generate mixed reaction from his fellow NFL players and beyond.

Rodney Harrison, a former two-time Super Bowl champion turned NBC football analyst, is apologizing after saying that he didn't think the San Francisco 49ers quarterback is qualified to take a stance on race and violence in America because he's "not Black."

Wait ... what?

But Rodney...Kaepernick, whose mother is white and father is African-American, is Black.

And instant social media backlash paved the way for Harrison's apology via a series of tweets Tuesday afternoon.

The last tweet had him saying that he actually didn't know that Kaepernick was mixed. Really?

After Harrison tweeted he didn't know Kaepernick was mixed, the internet roasted him.

One of the people doing the dragging was Damien Woody, another former NFL player turned football analyst, but for ESPN, and ex-teammate of Harrison's.

Woody had backed Kaepernick's stance over the weekend and wasn't having Harrison ripping the QB in any way.

When his ESPN colleague Sage Steele fired off on Harrison, Woody encouraged it.

Harrison's apology stems from his comments on Houston's SportsTalk 790 AM earlier in the day, when he blasted Kaepernick for sitting during the national anthem at Friday night's preseason game.

"I tell you this, I’m a Black man. And Colin Kaepernick, he’s not Black. He cannot understand what I face and what other young Black men and Black people face, or people of color face, on a every single (day) basis," Harrison said. "When you walk in a grocery store and you might have $2,000 or $3,000 in your pocket and you go up in to a Foot Locker and they’re looking at you like you about to steal something."

Harrison added, "I’m not saying that he has to be Black. I said his heart is in the right place, but even with what he’s doing, he still doesn’t understand that we face as a Black man or people of color, that’s what I’m saying."

To listen to Harrison's full rant, click below.

Although Harrison ripped Kaepernick, other retired NFL players didn't bash the 49ers QB as strongly, whether they agreed or disagreed with his form of protest.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who played for the same 49ers, offered:

Fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, though, is all for Kaep's stance and is proud of the 28-year-old for his courage.

"I listened to him and he makes all the sense in the world. He's within his rights and he's telling the truth as he sees it," Brown explained, as reported by NFL.com. "I am with him 100 percent. ... Now if you ask me 'Would I do that?' No I won't, because I see it a little differently. I'm an American citizen, I pay my taxes, I want my equal rights but this is my country, and consequently I don't want to open up for ISIS or anybody that will take away what we've already gained."

Brown added, "Young men in my day really stepped up. ... These were champions for freedom, equality and justice for all humans beings, and they were educated individuals that used their education and knowledge to represent their case. So now 50 years later we have a young man saying something that was kind of taken for granted in our day. We were way past that. For me it's like going back in time."

Outside of the football community, NASCAR driver Tony Stewart blasted Kaepernick before the internet roasted him with zero chill. 

Donald Trump predictably shot down Kaepernick's form of protest, saying he should find a different country, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar supported the QB.

Where do you stand on Kaepernick's stance?

BET Sports News — Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports, including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes.

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.