by Kadeem Simmonds

COLIN Kaepernick hit back at ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer early yesterday morning, after he was told to “be quiet and sit in the shadows” by the former NFL quarterback, who went on to accuse him of being selfish.

Dilfer, speaking on Sunday, slammed the San Francisco 49ers quarterback for his protests against the United States national anthem, saying: “The big thing that hit me through all this was this is a backup quarterback whose job is to be quiet and sit in the shadows and get the starter ready to play week one.”

Kaepernick has faced a barrage of abuse and criticism since he began to kneel during the anthem, which is played before NFL games, to raise awareness of racial injustice and police brutality in the US.

Since the demonstrations in the pre-season, a number of players have joined Kaepernick by kneeling during the anthem and some are now raising their fists in solidarity.

Speaking after the 49ers’ 28-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, Kaepernick said: “I think that’s one of the most ridiculous comments I’ve heard. The fact (Dilfer) says: ‘You are a backup QB, stay in your place,’ that’s an issue.

“To me, you are telling me that my position as a backup QB and being quiet is more important than people’s lives. I would ask him to really have a conversation with the families of people that have been murdered and see if he still feels that way.

“Because I bet that he doesn’t, just because he hasn’t experienced that type of oppression.

“I hope he goes home and really thinks about what he said and how it impacts not just (him) but how it impacts people whose lives are affected by these issues on a daily basis.”

Dilfer went on to say that Kaepernick has chosen “a time where all of a sudden he became the centre of attention and it has disrupted that organisation. It has caused friction. And it’s torn at the fabric of the team.”

However, that claim has been disputed by teammates of Kaepernick, with safety Eric Reid kneeling down in solidarity with the quarterback and linebacker Eli Harold saying that the protests during the pre-season has brought the team together.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher backed up that claim and praised Kaepernick for raising the issue, saying: “We don’t want to hear it but need to hear it.”

“President Obama said politics can get messy and sensitive,” Cowher said on Sunday.

“And I’m going to say things and get a message to you that you may not want to hear but you need to hear. And maybe that’s what’s happening with Colin Kaepernick. We don’t want to hear it but we need to hear it.”