Colin Kaepernick named face of Nike's new 30th anniversary 'Just Do It' campaign originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, currently embroiled in legal proceedings against the league over alleged collusion by owners, has been chosen as the new face of Nike. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

“We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” said Gino Fisanotti, a Nike vice president of brand for North America, according to ESPN, which first reported Nike’s decision to use Kaepernick as part of the ad campaign. On Monday, Nike unveiled an ad campaign celebrating the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” campaign, featuring Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who began the practice of kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in 2016 and hasn’t played professionally since. Last week, Kaepernick scored a legal victory in his grievance against the NFL and its 32 teams when an arbitrator denied the league’s request to throw out the quarterback’s claims that owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his protests of social injustice. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback today unveiled a new ad with Nike for the 30th anniversary of the brand’s iconic “Just Do It” campaign, sharing the news on social media with the caption, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Kaepernick, who’s been a Nike athlete since 2011, stirred controversy after he kneeled instead of stood during the national anthem prior to a game in the 2016 NFL preseason to protest police brutality and discrimination against people of color.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is expected to become the "new face" of the Nike advertising campaign Just Do It.