Colin Kaepernick may have been a star quarterback, but when it came to matters of the heart, he wasn't about to let his mother play matchmaker—especially not with one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.
In his new memoir, The Perilous Fight, Kaepernick recounts a revealing family moment: his mom suggested he ask out Taylor Swift during his NFL days. But the former 49ers signal-caller wasn't having it. 'No slight to Taylor, but she was not my type,' he writes, making it clear that his heart belonged elsewhere.
That elsewhere was a girl named Crystal, a fellow athlete who played basketball and ran track. Kaepernick describes their connection as immediate and deep. 'I could talk to Crystal, really talk to her, without having to explain myself,' he writes. 'It was a remarkable discovery, being understood up front and without question.'
His mother, however, didn't share his enthusiasm. She hid away the homecoming dance photo of Kaepernick and Crystal, but proudly displayed a picture from a later dance with a white girl named Lindsay, the daughter of a friend. 'In her mind, Crystal was just a phase. Lindsay was the kind of girl I should want,' Kaepernick recalls.
The tension between Kaepernick and his mother over his dating choices is a poignant thread in his story, reflecting deeper issues of identity and acceptance that he has often discussed. It's a personal glimpse into the life of a man who has been both celebrated and criticized for his political evolution.
Years later, while he was in the NFL, his mother again tried to steer his love life, suggesting he ask out Swift. But Kaepernick, who has always marched to his own beat, wasn't swayed. 'Crystal was also an athlete, so it was hard for us to find time for each other during basketball season,' he writes, explaining the practical challenges of dating a fellow competitor.
Of course, Swift has since found her own NFL romance with Travis Kelce, and the couple has become a cultural phenomenon. Meanwhile, Kaepernick has settled down with Nessa Diab, with whom he shares a daughter. Both seem to have landed exactly where they belong.
Kaepernick's memoir offers more than just dating anecdotes. It's a deeper look at the man behind the protests and the lawsuits, including his claim that the NFL blackballed him to the tune of $150 million. But this particular story about his mom's matchmaking attempts adds a human touch to a figure often seen as larger than life.
In the end, Kaepernick's tale is a reminder that even superstars have to navigate family expectations and personal desires. And sometimes, the best love stories aren't the ones your mother picks for you.
