Colin Kaepernick Dale Earnhardt Jr
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Copyright © 2015 by Mitchell Lane Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Printing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A Robbie Reader Biography Abigail Breslin Adrian Peterson Albert Einstein Albert Pujols Aly and AJ Andrew Luck AnnaSophia Robb Ashley Tisdale Brenda Song Brittany Murphy Buster Posey Charles Schulz Chris Johnson Clayton Kershaw Cliff Lee Colin Kaepernick Dale Earnhardt Jr. Darius Rucker David Archuleta Demi Lovato Donovan McNabb Drake Bell & Josh Peck Dr. Seuss Dustin Pedroia Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Dwyane Wade Dylan & Cole Sprouse Emily Osment Hilary Duff Jamie Lynn Spears Jennette McCurdy Jesse McCartney Jimmie Johnson Joe Flacco Jonas Brothers Keke Palmer Larry Fitzgerald LeBron James Mia Hamm Miguel Cabrera Miley Cyrus Miranda Cosgrove Philo Farnsworth Raven-Symoné Robert Griffin III Roy Halladay Shaquille O’Neal Story of Harley-Davidson Sue Bird Syd Hoff Tiki Barber Tim Lincecum Tom Brady Tony Hawk Troy Polamalu Victor Cruz Victoria Justice Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gagne, Tammy. Colin Kaepernick / by Tammy Gagne. pages cm. -- (A Robbie reader) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61228-637-2 (libraby bound) 1. Kaepernick, Colin, 1987---Juvenile literature. 2. Football players--United States--Biography-- Juvenile literature. I. Title. GV939.K25G34 2015 796.332092--dc23 [B] 2014008320 eBook ISBN: 9781545751305 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tammy Gagne is the author of numerous books for adults and children, including Roy Halladay and Buster Posey for Mitchell Lane Publishers. She resides in northern New England with her husband and son. One of her favorite pastimes is visiting schools to speak to kids about the writing process. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The following story has been thoroughly researched and to the best of our knowledge represents a true story. While every possible effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty on the accuracy of the information contained herein. This story has not been authorized or endorsed by Colin Kaepernick. PBP TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One A Not-So Overnight Sensation Chapter Two The Making of a Family Chapter Three Chasing His Own Dream Chapter Four Never Giving Up Chapter Five Making It Big Statistics Chronology Find Out More Books On the Internet Works Consulted Glossary Index Words in bold type can be found in the glossary. CHAPTER ONE A Not-So Overnight Sensation Just two years earlier, Colin Kaepernick had only dreamed of playing in the National Football League (NFL). Now he was quarterbacking the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff game against the Green Bay Packers on January 12, 2012. Colin shredded the Packer defense, gaining 181 yards on the ground to set an NFL rushing record by a quarterback. The 49ers’ 45–31 victory earned them a spot in the biggest football game of the season: the Super Bowl. Within days the young athlete would experience another first: being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. “I found out (Monday night) about it, and it was pretty sick,” he told the Oakland Tribune. He had seen many faces on the magazine’s covers while he was growing up in California. “I didn’t have them on my walls, but I used to look at them,” he added. Did he ever imagine that one day his picture would be there? He just might have. It wasn’t so long ago that hardly anyone knew Colin Kaepernick’s name, let alone how to pronounce it. But today football fans in San Francisco and elsewhere greatly admire the 49ers quarterback. To many people it seemed like Colin had become a star almost overnight. But his family knew how long he had been working towards this goal. His brother Kyle told the Orlando Sentinel how suddenly everyone was familiar with the Kaepernicks’ unusual name. Even better, “People know how to pronounce our last name now,” Kyle said, a bit astonished (It’s KAP-uhr-nik). One thing that didn’t surprise Kyle is his younger brother’s ability. Kyle always knew that Colin had great talent for the game. “He was the kid who’d throw and you would just hear the crowd go, Oooooooh!’” he said. Just as much as his talent, though, it was Colin’s drive that got him to the NFL, and then the Super Bowl. Chris Ault, Colin’s coach at the University of Nevada, told the Tribune Business News, “He is one of the most competitive players I have ever coached. He is a vicious competitor—and I mean that in a real pleasant way.” You’ve Just Finished your Free Sample Enjoyed the preview? Buy: http://www.ebooks2go.com.