Kaepernick Q&A

SANTA CLARA –

I was in a group that interviewed Colin Kaepernick and here’s the transcript, but first, here’s an observation.

Kaepernick is a smiler, but it’s a particular kind of smile, and it’s different from the smiles of the other rookies. Chris Culliver, the 49ers third round pick, came to the press room after Kaepernick, and he smiled in an “aw, shucks, I’m the new guy,” kind of way. He said he has lots of learning to do before he can even think about competing for a starting job.

Kaepernick smiles like a confident leader. He’s not ashamed to say he wants the starting quarterback job; in fact he’s pleased to say it. The smile suggests he knows something about himself we don’t, and he’s bursting with confidence. Should Alex Smith be worried?

Q: What’s it going to be like to get out on the field tomorrow after all this wait?

KAEPERNICK: It’s going to be amazing to be out there for the first time with the team, and really get to work so we can get started on what we need to get done for the season.

Q: How have the classroom sessions been with the coached compared to when Alex Smith was leading them?

KAEPERNICK: They’re good, they’re more detailed because they have the full knowledge, whereas Alex is going off his past experience – he hasn’t been in this exact offense. Obviously when you have the head coach and the quarterback coach teaching you the specifics of the offense, you’re going to get a little more knowledge out of that.

Q: Can you see where Camp Alex was beneficial?

KAEPERNICK: Yeah, they’ve been very beneficial in the general scheme of things. I feel very comfortable with everything that’s going on. Now it’s just getting down to the fine details.

Q: Did you get the sense that your coaches were impressed by how much you knew?

KAEPERNICK: I think they were a little bit impressed with just how comfortable I was with it, because Alex has done a great job taking us through everything and making sure we know the basics of everything that’s going on.

Q: Have you been in touch with Alex since that last camp? And do you expect to be in touch with him over the next week?

KAEPERNICK: Yeah, we’ve been working out together the last month, so we have a good relationship and he’ll be back out there as soon as he can.

Q: How long have you been in the facility the last few days?

KAEPERNICK: I don’t know exactly how long but I’ve been spending as much time here as I can.

Q: Is that meeting time?

KAEPERNICK: The last couple days it’s been more stuff on our own – making sure we’re ready for camp and getting everything set up.

Q: Are you the quarterback of the future or are you gunning for the starting job?

KAEPERNICK: I think when you come into a situation you want to be the starting quarterback. I don’t feel like I got drafted here to be a spectator. I want to come in, I want to compete and get on the field as soon as possible.

Q: Do you think it’s going to level the playing field a little bit that you’re going to get so many reps early in camp before Alex can get on the field.

KAEPERNICK: I don’t know about ‘level the playing field.” Alex has about six years on me. He definitely has a greater knowledge of defenses and some of the schemes, but at the same time I think getting those extra reps will help me develop a lot.

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