(WXYZ) — Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will serve as the honorary team captain at the Michigan Football spring game on Saturday.
Kaepernick, who was quarterback under Harbaugh when he was coaching in San Francisco, appeared in 48 games between 2011-2014, even leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013.
As part of his role as honorary captain, the university said he would be interacting with both teams on game day and spent the past few days with the Michigan team and staff.
During halftime of the spring game, Kapenerick will also be participating in an event where he throws balls to a few undrafted free agents and retired receivers. That event is sponsored by Michigan's Wolverines Against Racism student organization.
The organization, according to its website, is a "student-athlete run organization from the University of Michigan, focused on amplifying the voices of the oppressed, empowering the marginalized, and rewriting the narrative of our lives to reflect our true history and experiences against racism, nationally and globally."
Kaepernick drew national attention when he began kneeling during the national anthem before games to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
The protests turned political, with President Donald Trump calling on players to stand for the anthem. Trump has since changed his tune, saying in June 2020 that he would support teams signing Kaepernick.
In February, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters that the former player "deserves recognition and appreciation" for bringing up concerns about social justice and racism."
He publically apologized to Kaepernick last June for not listening to him enough and taking his concerns more seriously.
