Colin Kaepernick
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| Colin Kaepernick | |
|---|---|
| College | Nevada |
| Conference | WAC |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | QB |
| Jersey # | 10 |
| Class | 2nd-year Freshman |
| Major | Business |
| Nickname | Bo |
| Career | 2006 – present |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Nationality | USA |
| Born | November 3, 1987 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| High school | Pitman |
| Honors | |
| Rivals National Freshman of the Week, WAC Offensive Player of the Week, WAC Freshman of the Year, Fireman's Award | |
| Records | |
| NCAA: Highest scoring game in history vs Boise State | |
| Bowl games | |
| 2006 MPC Bowl | |
Colin Rand Kaepernick (born November 3, 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a collegiate quarterback for the University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack Football team of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
[edit] High school career
A three sport star at Pitman High School in Turlock, California Kaepernick passed up a promising baseball career as a pitcher in order to play football. Kaepernick was nominated for all state in football, basketball, and baseball his senior year. He was the MVP of the Central California Conference in football leading his school to its first ever playoff victory. In basketball he was a first team all CCC selection at forward and lead his 16th ranked team to a near upset of the number 1 ranked Oak Ridge Trogans in the opening round of playoffs. In that game Colin would score 34 points but it wouldn't be enough as Ryan Anderson would score 50 to best the Pride.
He was a two time all state baseball player in California and was listed as a draftable prospect on Major League Baseball's website in the class of 2006. He earned Northern California athlete of the week honours as a pitcher. He was reported to throw a 94 MPH fastball as a senior in HS as reported on ABC by commentator Dan Fouts during his first football action vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was also a member of the Brewers Grey squad in the 2005 Area Code games. During his senior year, Kaepernick pitched two no-hitters in highschool play. He also turned down numerous scholarship offers to play baseball at many notable NCAA programs instead taking his lone scholarship offer to play quarterback at Nevada.
[edit] College career
In 2006 Kaepernick joined the Nevada Wolf Pack as a redshirt. He would learn under head coach Chris Ault and quarterback Jeff Rowe but would not see the field.
In 2007 as a redshirt freshman, Colin saw little action through Nevada's first four games. It was during the fifth game of the season against the 2007 Fresno State Bulldogs football team that Colin got his first extended playing time. After starting quarterback Nick Graziano went down with a season ending foot injury, Colin entered the game with 8:23 remaining in the second quarter. He would go on to amass 384 yards passing, 4 TD's and 60 yards rushing. It would prove to not be enough though as Fresno would win the game 49-41
It would be in Colin's first start on Sunday October 14th, 2007 that he would have his most popular game to date. Entering as 26 point underdogs to the Boise State Broncos, a team that had never lost on its home field to a WAC opponent, Colin would help guide the Wolf Pack to a near upset of the Broncos in what would eventually become the highest scoring game in NCAA history. The game was nationally televised on ESPN and would be deemed an Instant Classic to be re-aired on the networks ESPN Classic station in the following days. Compiling 243 yards passing with 3 TD's and rushing for another 177 yards and 2 scores, Kaepernick would lead the Wolf Pack into a fourth overtime period before a failed two point conversion attempt would ulitmately prevent the game from entering a fifth overtime. During the game Kaepernick earned high praise from ESPN's Bill Curry (the former Georgia Tech and Green Bay Packer center and University of Kentucky head football coach) as having perhaps the best game he had ever witnessed any redshirt freshman quarterback playing in.
He would then go on to lead the Wolf Pack to three straight victories over Utah State, Idaho, and New Mexico State (a game in which he threw the go ahead score with a minute remaining) and earn WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the latter. Against undefeated and nationally ranked Hawaii his team would fall 2 points short after giving up a late field goal with 15 seconds remaining. A loss to San Jose St. followed.
In the final game of the regular season vs. the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Kaepernick would throw for a gaudy 404 yards and 3 scores with no turnovers to help lead the Pack their third consecutive bowl appearance, a first in school history.
Kaepernick would earn WAC Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts during the regular season. At 161.06 he finished as the 5th ranked quarterback in NCAA football based on pass efficiency behind Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), Tim Tebow (Florida), Colt Brennan (Hawaii), and Dennis Dixon (Oregon) and 3rd in the nation in yards per attempt at 9.4 behind Tebow and Paul Smith (Tulsa)
With bowl games completed, Kaepernick's stats dropped slightly. He would finish the season ranked in the top ten in NCAA in various categories including: 2nd lowest Interception Percent to Florida State's Drew Weatherford, 5th in Yards Per Passing Attempt, 7th in Touchdowns Passing Percent, and 10th in Passer Rating. Amongst quarterbacks he was 6th in Yards Per Carry when running the ball.
