[crowd cheering on TV]
Let me tell you something.
There's an old saying in baseball, "Play the game the right way."
It's something coaches tell players from tee-ball to the big leagues.
And it's something Romare Bearden,
one of the best pitchers in the world during the 1930s,
was very familiar with.
["Passin' Me By" playing]
In order to realize his dreams of playing for the Philadelphia Athletics...
he had to play the game the right way.
But what does that mean exactly?
In the end, this star baseball player proved
that what you start out as isn't always what you become.
♪ She keeps on passing me by ♪
♪ She keeps on pass-- ♪
[Colin] As a kid, I loved playing baseball.
A lot of people think it was my best sport.
They're probably right.
So why didn't Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback,
become Colin Kaepernick, the Major League pitcher?
["If It Don't Feel Right" playing]
♪ If it don't feel right Then it's wrong ♪
[coughs]
[Colin] When I was in high school, I was always sick.
[young Colin coughing]
The cold, the flu. If it was going around, I would catch it.
But the sickest I ever felt was at the end of my junior year.
Last game of the season.
[umpire] Play ball!
[Colin] Bottom of the seventh inning.
-Strike two! -Oh! Whoo!
-Are you seeing what I'm seeing? -Everyone is seeing it.
Let's go, Colin!
-[Colin] Every cough set my lungs on fire. -[wheezing]
Every breath felt like knives stabbing me in the chest.
And the crowd...
I could lie and tell you I didn't hear them,
but I did.
Got nothing! This boy's got nothing!
Let's go!
[Colin] Every single word.
Don't let that boy strike you out, Johnny!
[woman] Come on!
[crowd continues shouting]
[man] All right, baby!
[woman] Come on!
Out!
That's my Colin! That's a no-no!
-What? -Look at the scoreboard!
You pitched a no-hitter!
You're like the future of baseball!
-[Colin] Good noise, bad noise. -[coughing]
At the end of the day, you can't let it get in the way.
Colin, you are dehydrated because you have pneumonia.
And how in the hell did you hang a no-no on Los Banos with this fever, huh?
The toilets...
are our biggest rivals, doc.
-[Ellis laughing] -I couldn't let my team down.
Gonna be using this thing in the big leagues?
It will either be pitching, or throwing touchdowns.
Still trying to decide.
Well, as your doctor, I would recommend sticking with baseball.
You don't want your brain turned into mush from all of those hits.
-They gotta try and sack me first, doc. -[Ellis laughs]
Smart, athletic, and confident. Your phone must be ringing off the hook.
[Colin] The phone was ringing off the hook.
Hmm.
[Colin] But they weren't the calls I was hoping for.
Hello?
Sorry, coach, he's not feeling well. You're gonna have to call back.
Tomorrow's fine.
Okay.
Okay. Bye.
That was the last call I answer. It's your job.
Not as fun as it looks, huh?
Don't worry.
-My five-minute break is almost up. -That's what you said five minutes ago.
Early favorites are out for the Heisman.
They like Bush, Leinart, and your guy from Texas, Vince Young.
What's not to like?
Dual-threat quarterbacks are taking over.
Then Coach Parker needs to let you start running more.
How are colleges gonna see what you can do if he won't let you?
[young Colin] He says I need to put on weight.
Maybe I need to borrow your metabolism for a little bit.
[chuckling]
Oh, my ribs.
Good one, smartass.
Maybe you need to borrow some of my football scholarships too.
Nope. I'm good.
I'll have my own soon.
[phone ringing]
All right, all right. I got it.
Kaepernicks, we love the troops.
There we go, Colin, nice.
[Colin] After the no-hitter, I was the man at school.
[boy] Yo, Colin. Congrats on the no-hitter.
I heard the Yankees offered you a million. Is that true?
-Yeah, is that true? -Back up. Let the man live.
It ain't never gonna stop, is it?
[Eddie] Not until you decide.
Then everybody'll beg you for money and tickets.
You finally might lose your virginity.
Oh, your mom didn't tell you?
Can you sign this for my dad? He's a big fan.
No problem. Depends on what you got on it.
We accept cash, cash, and cash.
[Colin] And even though the only thing on my mind
was getting a football scholarship...
Tell your dad I appreciate the support.
[Colin] ...I allowed myself to enjoy the love a little bit.
Hey, I forgot to tell you. Coach Schott was looking for you.
When isn't that man looking for me?
So, uh, what are we doing tonight?
I'm probably gonna go to Walcott's later, but I gotta handle some business first.
I'm down. What's the biz?
You ain't ready to hang with the big boys.
-Your parents would kill you. -You act like I ain't grown.
You a grown nerd with the highest GPA on the team.
Hurry up, get to class. You don't wanna be late.
-You're not coming? -In a little bit.
This bowl in my truck ain't gonna smoke itself.
-Hey, take some good notes for me. -Mm-hm.
Big smile. Like you just won the World Series.
[Colin] Everybody was waiting to hear my decision about baseball.
And I mean everybody.
And it was getting annoying.
[teacher] Everything we talked about today is gonna be on the test.
So I wanna see everyone taking crazy good notes.
If you have questions, ask them now.
-We're on page 424, chapter six. -[phone ringing]
Hello?
Okay. I'll let him know.
Hey, Colin? Coach Schott would like to see you in his office.
-About what? -I don't know. All right...
[Colin] When it came to making a decision about my life,
I had a lot of people wanting me to do one thing
and tell me all about what matters.
What matters to them.
You wanted to see me, coach?
When I call a pitch, I expect you to throw that pitch.
If you try that in the bigs, your ass will be toast.
Yes, sir.
Wait. I got some good news. Great news, actually.
It's your invite to the Area Code Games this summer.
We did it. Congratulations, son.
Wow. Cool.
"Cool"?
I mean, you're invited
to the most prestigious showcase in high school baseball,
and all you can say is, "cool"?
Colin, do you know how hard I've been working for you?
I've been talking to coaches and scouts day and night, singing your praises.
You know...
Coach, I don't want you to think I'm not appreciative,
or that I don't recognize what you're doing, but, you know...
I just wanna keep my options open. With football.
If you dropped football and focused on baseball,
you could be the next Dontrelle Willis.
I mean, what if I drop baseball instead?
You drop baseball, you're dropping your future.
Baseball scholarships are flooding in every day.
You don't have a single one for football.
Zero. Zip. Zilch.
Well, not yet.
But I will. Soon.
Yeah? But what if you don't?
[Colin] Everybody thought because I didn't have a football offer,
that I should just be happy and accept the baseball offers.
Hey, Mom.
Dinner will be ready in 20.
Hey, Dad. Any coaches call today?
[Rick] You serious?
About football?
Not yet.
Be patient.
Keep working hard.
[Colin] I wasn't ready to give up on my dream...
I am.
[Colin] ...even if other people were.
Not only am I the best player on the football team, I'm also the best looking.
It's only natural girls at Pitman flock to my jock.
They know they're looking at a superstar.
Just remember who the coaches are coming to see.
Colin, make that arm is ready to throw me the ball.
Why? So you can fumble it?
-"So you can fumble it?" -How are the camps going?
Good. You know, I've just been doing my thing.
Coaches still think I'm trying to play baseball.
You're not?
You know how much you can make in the Major Leagues?
You could finally afford some rims and stop rolling on them dusty factories.
Yeah, I'll remember that next time you ask me for a ride.
Thankfully, I don't need one today. Jordan, you ready to go?
Yeah. Same time next week?
Nah, I'll let y'all know. Might be at one of those camps.
-Football or baseball? -Not sure yet.
[Jordan] It's crazy that you're that good at football.
It's not even your best sport.
-Yo. -Yo.
Can I kick it at your spot for a minute? I don't feel like going home yet.
-Nah. -Nah?
I got errands with Max and CJ.
-All right, whatever. -You gonna miss me or something?
Catch you later. I'll hit you up.
[Colin] Everybody wanted me to play baseball.
All the schools wanted me.
The offers were all there, but my heart wasn't.
It was with football.
A place where no one wanted me.
There's always going to be moments that shake you up.
But when I saw I was just a two-star prospect...
I wasn't prepared to see how the world was seeing me.
[doorbell rings]
I'll get it, Mom.
Got a surprise for you, bro.
I can't let you ride around on them dusty rims.
Damn. Where'd you get these?
Jacked them.
Nah, I'm just messing with you. I got them from my cousin.
A tree fell on his car and the rims are still good.
-He said I can have them. -All right.
-How much you want for them? -They're on the house.
Just make sure to pass me the ball every once in a while.
We're about to be seniors.
This is my last chance to impress the girls.
And lace me up with Super Bowl tickets when you're on the Raiders.
Raiders? You mean the Packers.
Yeah, I forgot you're a cheesehead.
These would look so good on my baby too.
I can't take these. My parents would flip out.
Why? They're from my cousin.
Imagine my mom's face when she sees these on my truck.
No worries. I'll just find someone else who might want them.
You're still passing me the rock.
No doubt. Peace.
[Colin] It's true in life and in sports. Decisions are funny things.
In some moments, you know exactly when you're making the right one.
When they say, "Play the game the right way,"
what are they really saying?
In the early 1930s, Romare Bearden found out.
When Bearden got to Philly, the Athletics were anxious for him to sign his contract.
He was going to be the first Black player in the Major Leagues,
years before Jackie Robinson.
All he had to do was sign on the dotted line.
There was just one more little thing.
In order to make his contract official,
in order to realize his dreams,
he was told he would have to play as a white man.
You'll have to pass as a white man.
[Colin] He rejected the offer.
What Bearden learned then is something I learned in high school.
And something America has always taught us.
Playing ball the right way means playing ball the white way.
[dramatic music playing]
And in many ways, the rules of the game
reflect the code of behavior expected in American society.
I was at the Area Code Games, and I was supposed to be excited.
But all I could think of
was that baseball was starting to feel more and more like a backup plan.
Take this game, for instance. It was the same as any other.
Except this time, there was another kid who looked like me.
Strike three! You're out!
[crowd cheering]
We gave each other a nod of recognition.
Hey! No fraternization on the field. Respect the game!
[Colin] Whether it was the spectators or the umpires,
in baseball, something always seemed off.
Like baseball, America selectively chooses when to enforce its rules.
Sometimes they let you express your rights, sometimes they don't.
When they see the rules don't apply to everyone equally,
they say they're willing to change them.
But just because rules are changed, doesn't mean hearts are changed.
The question becomes,
is it in your heart to play by their rules?
Let's get this over with.
I'm the head baseball coach at the University of Texas.
Cal-Berkeley.
UCLA.
Harvard University.
-[ASU coach] The Arizona State University. -If you come to Texas, we will make you...
-A star. -A superstar.
You come with LSU, you'll be the next Dave Stewart.
The next Dwight Gooden.
-[USC coach] The next... -[ASU coach] D-Train, Dontrelle Willis.
The next Jackie Robinson.
Did you know that he went to UCLA? Oh, yeah.
We're excited to offer you a full scholarship.
Full scholarship.
A free ride.
We don't offer baseball scholarships, but with your grades,
you'll have no problem getting an academic scholarship.
At Arizona State, grades will be the least of your concerns.
Go, Devils.
Now, technically, I'm not supposed to give you any gear, but...
Don't tell anybody I gave you this.
Let's keep this between us.
[doorbell rings]
He's here.
I saw you at the Area Code Games. You got the goods, kid.
Now, you can go to college, play for free.
Put on that freshman 15, bottom out,
and be back here in Turlock in a few years selling used Fords.
Or you can go pro and be a millionaire by your 19th birthday.
Come on, really? A millionaire?
Mrs. Kaepernick, your son has one of the best arms I've seen on a kid his age.
He'll be one of the top picks in the draft.
[Colin] There can be all kinds of reasons to do what people want you to do.
-What if I wanna play football? -We'll still draft you.
And when you see the signing bonus we'll give you, you'll change your mind.
[Colin] But there's only ever one reason to actually do anything.
You on a diet or something?
Just not that hungry.
Can I get one of them tacos then?
[car horn honking melodically]
-Catch up with you later. -Yo, where are we going?
[Jake] I gotta take care of something right quick. All right?
-You stay here. -Why you always ditching me?
Trust me. It's for your own good.
How are you supposed to tell me that?
You're supposed to be my boy.
This ain't what you want, bro.
I don't even know what I want anymore.
What happened to, "I'm a quarterback"? That's not what you want?
We're halfway through senior season, and I still don't have any offers.
-Yo, Colin. -What?
You sound like a punk-ass cry baby.
Nothing in life worth having comes easy.
All right?
-I'll see you later, bro. -A'ight. I see how it is.
No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be so mad right now.
[Colin] Jake wasn't wrong. I knew I was moping.
I knew no one could understand why I wasn't taking the easy choice.
But I couldn't shake how I felt.
Sometimes, you just feel what you feel and nothing will change your mind.
[young Colin] Coach, there's gotta be something we can do.
Can we try Fresno State again?
I know they said they weren't taking any new QBs, but it's worth a shot.
-You didn't hear? -What?
They signed a quarterback. Some kid from a JUCO down south.
Come on.
Hey, I know you don't wanna hear this,
but junior college may not be a bad idea for you too.
What?
I'm not going to a JUCO.
I'm a D1 quarterback.
Okay, we both know that.
So I want you to leave it all on the field in the playoffs.
You put together a few good games,
win Section Championship, then...
Keep your chin up, Colin.
There's still time.
You're late.
Why are we even here anyway? The place is closed.
I know the manager. She was supposed to hook us up.
Real talk, Taco Bell should start serving breakfast. I'd eat it.
-I'm surprised you invited me out. -What's that supposed to mean?
-We're supposed to be friends. -We are.
So why you always ditching me?
Maybe I'm ditching you because we're friends.
Come on, man. Don't do that.
Let me show you something.
-Is that from...? -Yeah, I started a little side hustle.
Selling car parts and whatnot.
-You mean jacking car parts? -Tomato-tomahto.
Okay, so why won't you let me come?
You're 6'13" and Black.
There is only one person in Turlock that fits that description.
If I get caught, I might go to jail.
But if I get caught with you, I might get shot.
Not funny, Jake.
You have a chance to be special.
Maybe baseball isn't what you want, but it's a way out of here.
That's the thing.
It's not the future I want.
Then go get the future you want.
Life's too short to be living someone else's dream.
Damn. That might be the realest thing you ever said.
I can't take credit for that one. I read it in Playboy as a kid.
[Colin] I learned a lot of things that summer.
Summer of my senior year.
But the one thing I remember most
is you gotta play the game that's right for you.
Coach Schott called to see if you're ready for tomorrow.
He asked if you've made your decision yet.
Can we send out some more tapes?
[Rick] A very wise man once said,
"Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out."
Look, we know that this is your decision.
And we support you.
But what's wrong with baseball?
It's not football.
No, but it is a way to get a free education,
make some great money.
[young Colin] With football, I feel like myself. I feel comfortable.
Baseball, I'm a visitor, an outsider.
I don't know. It's hard to explain.
We know how bad you wanted this thing to happen.
But it didn't happen.
Like Mom said...
It's your decision.
But sometimes in life, the decisions are already made for you.
[Colin] And sometimes, you make the decision for yourself.
[knocking on door]
Hey, Kaepernick. Right on time.
So I talked to Coach Parker.
I just want you to know, I'm sorry it didn't work out with football.
But like I told you back in spring, baseball is your future.
So which school? You made your decision?
[chuckles] Well, what is it?
I'm gonna be a quarterback.
It's the biggest mistake of your life. You're gonna look back on this.
You're gonna regret it.
Forever.
The hell are you thinking?
[Colin] I was thinking that what you start out as
is not necessarily what you become.
Bearden continued in the Negro Leagues for a few more seasons
before shifting his focus to another passion: art.
He went on to become one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century...
using his brilliant folk collages
to showcase the harsh reality of the Black experience in America.
Many others would follow.
Bearden was good at baseball,
but because he didn't sell his soul, he found his true love.
For me, I played baseball because I was good at it.
My passion, my love, was being a quarterback.
[young Colin] Damn, I didn't think everybody would be this mad at me.
You had the winning lottery ticket and you threw it away.
My dad says you're making the biggest mistake of your life.
Your dad works at Blockbuster.
Kaepernick was projected to be a top pick in the 2006 MLB Draft.
Now he waits for a football scholarship that may never come.
A lot of people are scratching their heads about this one.
[TV turns off]
What do they know?
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Really?
I'll grab him for you.
Colin?
Baseball?
["Astronaut in the Ocean" playing]
♪ Astro-naut ♪
♪ What you know about Rollin' down in the deep? ♪
♪ When your brain goes numb You can call that mental freeze ♪
♪ When these people talk too much Put that shit in slow motion, yeah ♪
♪ I feel like an astronaut In the ocean, ayy ♪
♪ What you know about Rollin' down in the deep? ♪
♪ When your brain goes numb You can call that mental freeze ♪
♪ When these people talk too much Put that shit in slow motion, yeah ♪
♪ I feel like an astronaut in the ocean ♪
-♪ She say that I'm cool ♪ -♪ Damn straight ♪
♪ I'm like, "Yeah, that's true" I believe in G-O-D ♪
♪ Don't believe in T-H-O-T ♪
♪ She keep playing me dumb I'ma play her for fun ♪
♪ Y'all don't really know my mental Lemme give you the picture like stencil ♪
♪ Falling out, in a drought No flow, rain wasn't pouring down ♪
♪ See, that pain was all around See, my mode was kinda lounged ♪
♪ Didn't know which-which way to turn Flow was cool but I still felt burnt ♪
♪ Energy up, you can feel my surge I'ma kill everything like this purge ♪
♪ Let's just get this straight For a second, I'ma work ♪
♪ Even if I don't get paid for progression I'ma get it ♪
♪ Everything that I do is electric... ♪