NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre made waves on Sunday comparing Colin Kaepernick to Pat Tillman, who died while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan.
Brett Favre said Colin Kaepernick would have ‘hero status’ like Pat Tillman
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Favre was discussing the sacrifice Kaepernick made to devote himself to social justice at the expense of his NFL career.
“It’s not easy for a guy his age — black or white, hispanic, whatever — to stop something that you’ve always dreamed of doing, and put it on hold, maybe forever, for something that you believe in,” Favre said.
After saying that, Favre compared Kaepernick to Tillman.
“I can only think of right off the top of my head, Pat Tillman is another guy that did something similar,” Favre said. “And, we regard him as a hero. So, I’d assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.”
Tillman left the Arizona Cardinals after 9/11 to become an Army Ranger. He ultimately passed away in the line of duty in 2004 due to friendly fire — one of the great tragedies the NFL has absorbed in recent years.
Brett Favre clarified his Kaepernick/Tillman comparison on Twitter
Not surprisingly, the Kaepernick/Tillman comparison caused some consternation on social media. Many were upset by it. As a result, Favre chose to further clarify what his intent was initially.
It’s impossible to compare what Tillman did to what Kaepernick is doing now. Yet Favre’s point remains salient. At the same time, given the hot-button nature of this issue, it’s hardly surprising that the comments were so fiercely debated from people on both sides of the issue.