SANTA CLARA – Colin Kaepernick wants to show this preseason that he is capable of becoming starting-caliber quarterback – that’s what he said at his Tuesday afternoon press conference. He also discussed his performance last preseason and his ongoing transition to Jim Harbaugh’s pro-style offense. Here’s a transcript.
Q: Looking back at last preseason, did you feel overwhelmed in those games?
KAEPERNICK: I definitely wasn’t as prepared as I would like to be. We had to deal with the lockout, and we went out there and did the best we could.
Q: What’s the area you wanted to see the most growth in this season?
KAEPERNICK: Just performance – going out on the field and performing.
Q: What do you take from last year?
KAEPERNICK: This offense can do a lot of great things, we just have to go out there and execute.
Q: How has the transition from the pistol offense to this offense gone over the last two years?
KAEPERNICK: I think first jumping into it there’s quite a bit of a learning curve, but now I’m comfortable with this offense and I’m ready to get back out there.
Q: What’s the hardest part of that transition?
KAEPERNICK: I think it’s just the size of the playbook, knowing all the checks and audibles, what we’re trying to get out of each play, and I think that’s where I’ve made the biggest strides in the last year.
Q: Some people think the biggest transition is learning to receive the ball from under center and all the footwork that comes with that. How is that process going for you?
KAEPERNICK: I don’t think that’s that big of a process. There are little things you want to tweak here and there, but that’s minute compared to some of the other things.
Q: How would the playbook here compare to the playbook at the University of Nevada.
KAEPERNICK: A lot bigger.
Q: How much bigger?
KAEPERNICK: A lot.
Q: In terms of taking off and running with the ball, do you have to tell yourself to not do as much of that here, or is that just part of your game?
KAEPERNICK: It all depends on what the defense is giving us. If there are people open to throw the ball to, that’s what we want to do. If the pocket breaks down or if there’s no one open, we’re going to take the ball and get as much as we can.
Q: What are your goals for this preseason?
KAEPERNICK: To go and show that I can be a starter in this league. I want to do my best and show everyone what I’m capable of.
Q: What is it like having to wait last year and wait now?
KAEPERNICK: It’s football. At some point you’re going to have to wait your turn to get out there on that field and you just have to be ready for when that opportunity comes.
Q: What type of things are you doing on the sideline during the games?
KAEPERNICK: I’m going through the plays just like I was in the game, looking at the defense and seeing where I would be going with the ball.
Q: What are your memories of your first preseason opener last year against the Saints?
KAEPERNICK: We got blitzed a lot.
Q: Looking back at that game, is there any thought that it was a good thing for this team because it showed how much work needed to be done?
KAEPERNICK: Yeah, but we knew we had work to do regardless of that game.
Q: Do you watch a lot of film of you in the preseason last year, or did you move on to film of you in practice?
KAEPERNICK: I went to watching practice film. You watch the preseason, you get what you can from it and you move on.
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