At a National Black Footwear Forum event in Detroit, Colin Kaepernick discussed excerpts from his upcoming memoir "The Perilous Fight" with Jemele Hill. The conversation included a story about how his mother initially hid a photo of him and his black girlfriend Crystal but displayed one with Lindsay, a white friend’s daughter, proudly. His mother also encouraged him to date Taylor Swift at the height of his NFL career, which he found disappointing. Kaepernick used this anecdote to illustrate issues around racial identity and support from family members during his activism.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
At the National Black Footwear Forum in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday night, Colin Kaepernick discussed his upcoming memoir titled "The Perilous Fight" with Jemele Hill. A significant topic emerged when Hill mentioned a story from his book about his mother wanting him to date Taylor Swift, a white woman. Both Hill and Kaepernick expressed frustration that his mother suggested he should be interested in dating white women, implying it was out of place for him as a Black man. In the excerpt provided from his memoir, Kaepernick describes how different he felt when dating Crystal, another Black person, stating, "I could talk to Crystal, really talk to her, without having to explain myself." This reflects on issues of racial identity and understanding in personal relationships.
Written for “Kaepernick Mother Dating Comments” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Saturday night, Colin Kaepernick and Jemele Hill spoke at the National Black Footwear Forum in Detroit, Michigan.
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Kaepernick → speak → Detroit
Their conversation focused primarily on, you guessed it, racism, as well as Kaepernick’s life and upcoming memoir, "The Perilous Fight."
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you → focus → racism
OutKick reporters attended the event, which did not permit questions.
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which → attend → questions
One topic, in particular, caught our attention.
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topic → catch → attention
Hill told Kaepernick that she was struck by a story in his memoir about the time his mother wanted him to date Taylor Swift.
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him → tell → Swift
Hill and Kaepernick lamented that his mother wanted him to be with a girl like Swift, with the implication he wasn't interested in white women.
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he → lament → women
OutKick obtained a copy of Kaepernick’s new book, in which he tells that story about his mother and Swift:
"Now that I had my own car, it was time for me to embrace another teenage rite of passage: a girlfriend.
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me → obtain → passage
I started seeing a very cute Black girl named Crystal.
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I → start → girl
Right away, I noticed how different I felt with her than in my own home.
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I → notice → home
I could talk to Crystal, really talk to her, without having to explain myself; it was a remarkable discovery, being understood up front and without question.
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it → talk → question
When I visited her home, I was stunned by how warm and welcoming her family was.
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family → visit → home
I immediately felt comfortable there," he begins.
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he → feel → ?
"I asked Crystal to the homecoming dance, a formal affair involving fancy gowns, tuxedoes, and corsages.
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I → ask → gowns
We had a nice time at the dance.
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We → have → dance
When I got the official portrait from that night, featuring me and Crystal posed up in that classic, airbrushed frame, my mother hid it away in the back of a drawer.
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mother → get → drawer
"
"My mother convinced me to ask Lindsay, the daughter of one of her friends, to the next formal dance.
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mother → convince → dance
When I brought that picture home, my mother promptly plastered it on the wall for all to see.
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all → bring → wall
Lindsay was the kind of girl I should want.
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I → want → girl
"It was disappointing to me that my mother didn't seem capable of seeing who I really was.
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I → seem → me
Years later, when I was in the NFL, she told me that I should ask out Taylor Swift (long before Travis Kelce made his move) because we would be perfect together.
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we → tell → move
Crystal was also an athlete, a basketball player, and track runner so it was hard for us to find time for each other during basketball season.
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us → find → season
Oh, the horror of a mother encouraging her professional athlete son to ask out one of the most famous women in America, who was around his age.
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who → encourage → age
During multiple portions of the conversation Saturday night, Kaepernick spoke negatively about two white parents raising him.
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Kaepernick → speak → him
He repeatedly claimed that they did not understand or support his "blackness."
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they → claim → blackness
He also said they did not support his national anthem protest when it began.
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it → say → protest
How dare two parents refuse to support their son’s decision to disrespect the American flag and encourage him to date Taylor Swift?
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parents → refuse → Swift
How Kaepernick ever made it to the NFL despite this type of parenting is apparently the story of a true underdog.
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made → make → underdog
Colin Kaepernick is still upset that his mom wanted him to date Taylor Swift, a white woman.
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him → want → Swift
Of course, Hill did not challenge Kaepernick on any of these points.
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Hill → challenge → points
Rather, she opened the discussion by blaming injuries for Kaepernick’s poor play and calling on the Atlanta Falcons to consider signing him to play quarterback in 2026.
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she → open → 2026
Colin Kaepernick is still upset that his mom wanted him to date Taylor Swift, a white woman
Finally, say what you will about Travis Kelce, but Swift should be glad Kaepernick stopped taking dating advice from his white mother.
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Kaepernick → want → mother
