Colin Kaepernick, a known sports figure is widely respected for his impact, in both the realm of football and beyond. He has gained recognition for taking a stand, against injustice and inequality.
The upbringing and values instilled in Colin Kaepernick were profoundly shaped by his parents, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick.
Before delving into the role played by his parents in molding him as an athlete let us first examine Colin Kaepernick’s background.
Contents
Colin Kaepernick’s Early Life
Colin Kaepernick, who gained recognition for his football career, has a family background.
He was born to Heidi Russo, a woman with Italian-American roots, and an African American father whose specific origins include Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ivorian heritage.
At the tender age of six weeks, Colin was lovingly adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick.
Growing up in a household, alongside his siblings Kyle and Devon Colin often reflects on the complexities of navigating his racial identity.
While he primarily identifies with his parents he recently reconnected with his mother. Their heartwarming journey is now being portrayed in a Netflix series that delves into Colin’s life.
Colin Kaepernick’s Biological Mother, Heidi Russo
Heidi Russo was born in 1969 to Phyllis and James Zabransk. She is the mother of Colin Kaepernick, whom she gave up for adoption when she was 19 years old.
The identity of Colin’s birth father who’s of American descent, with roots from Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast remains unknown as he left Russo after learning about the pregnancy. Currently residing in Denver, Colorado, Heidi works as a certified nurse and is married to Heath Russo.
They have three children together named Michael, Ethan and Alex. In collaboration with Jami Marcantonio, Heidi co-founded an advocacy group called ‘Linked Thru Love’ aimed at challenging adoption stereotypes.
Furthermore, she established the profit organization ‘Three Strands’ to provide support for biological mothers.
Colin Kaepernick’s Adoptive Parents
Colin Kaepernick’s adoptive parents are Rick and Teresa Kaepernick. Rick welcomed Colin into their family when he was six weeks old, in Appleton, Wisconsin.
This happened after Rick and Teresa had experienced the heart-wrenching loss of their two sons due to heart defects. If they were alive today they would have been 34 and 32 years old respectively.
Rick had a job opportunity as an operations manager at the Hilmar Cheese Company. Despite Colin having a darker skin color than the rest of the family.
Rick always stood for Trayce in his support and defended him when anyone said anything.
Teresa Kaepernick, Colin’s adoptive mother works as a nurse. She was as happy as Rick when they adopted Trayce as a baby.
Colin Kaepernick’s Parents Ethnicity
Colin Kaepernick’s biological mother Heidi Russo is of Italian descent and American nationality. While his father’s nationality remains unknown, he is believed to be American with African roots. Colin was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, who are both American with European backgrounds.
It’s important to note that Colin identifies as biracial and Black influenced by his father’s heritage and growing up in white cultural environments.
His journey of exploring his identity both within his family and through reconnecting with his biological mother has had a profound impact on shaping who he is today.
Colin Kaepernick Siblings
Colin has an older brother named Kyle and a younger sister named Devon. When Colin was four years old, the family relocated from Wisconsin to California.
While both Kyle and Devon completed their studies at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, Colin earned a football scholarship to the University of Nevada, Reno.
Nowadays, happily married with two children, Devon resides in Turlock, California. She prefers to keep her Instagram presence relatively low due to differing opinions about Colin, which can sometimes create division among followers.
Nevertheless, her posts often showcase the strong bond within the family, with Colin making frequent appearances.
