Brett Favre Compared Colin Kaepernick To The Late Pat Tillman
Jun 23, 2020, 2:34 PM
Photos: Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre made what some are considering a bold statement when he compared Colin Kaepernick to the late Pat Tillman.
Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016 but during his time he was kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality in America.
Tillman is a former Arizona Cardinal defensive back who gave up his NFL career to join the Army Rangers after the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Favre joined TMZ Sports and mentioned why he thinks Kaepernick is a “hero.”
“I can only think of – right off the top of my head – Pat Tillman’s another guy who did something similar, and we regard him as a hero,” Favre said. “So I’d assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.”
There was some backlash to Favre’s comments comparing Tillman to Kaepernick and he later clarified his comments.
“Including Pat Tillman’s name in the interview on Colin Kaepernick was not a comparison of the two, but a recognition that they both sidelined their football dreams in pursuit of a cause. Pat tragically lost his life, making the ultimate sacrifice, and deserves the highest honor.”
Both players can be highly regarded for what they are doing or did off the football field. They both did what they thought was best to support their beliefs.
Kaepernick showed the need to highlight social inequalities and police brutality in this country, and Tillman felt patriotic and ultimately gave his life by serving America in the military.
If Not A Hero, Kaepernick Is Still Highly Regarded
Kaepernick did not voluntarily walk away from the NFL. He was essentially blackballed for kneeling during the anthem. He eventually won a civil suit against the league but he is still not employed by an NFL team.
There are some key differences between Kaepernick and Tillman, according to KSL Unrivaled. Tillman joined an official organization in the Army and Kaepernick is protesting and starting a movement.
That difference is why KSL Sports’ Scott Mitchell is not ready to call Kaepernick a hero but does give him praise for bringing awareness to his cause.
“For this being a hero thing. I am all for people standing up for what people believe in, 1,000 percent,” Mitchell said. “I am all for Colin Kaepernick for what he believes, but I am really skeptical that you would call him a hero.”
Mitchell is not downplaying what Kaepernick is doing but he feels that the comparison to the Tillman who gave up football after the September 11 attacks to become an Army Ranger might be a reach. Kaepernick has done great things over the past four years to highlight police brutality and social injustice.
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Mitchell retold something that former NFL star Art Donovan had to say about football and war.
“Art Donovan who played for the [Indianapolis] Colts, is a Hall of Famer and he was in World War II fought for our country. He said, ‘football players are not national heroes, they are not heroes that do things that really change and move our society and protect our freedoms. We are entertainment, that is all it is.’
“Colin Kaepernick really made this amazing move in his life that designated him as a hero, I don’t believe it. I believe people in everyday life who working five jobs and who are being a good father or mother. To me, that is more of a hero than what Colin Kaepernick did.”
Tillman gave the ultimate sacrifice with his life while fighting for the United States, while Kaepernick’s loss came from the risk that kneeling during the National Anthem could, and so did, cost him.
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