Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers answers questions from the media during Super Bowl XLVII Media Day ahead of Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 29, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 49ers will take on the Baltimore Ravens on February 3, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS (USA TODAY) -- When Colin Kaepernick roomed with Cam Newton at the
NFL combine two years ago in Indianapolis, he says he never imagined
he'd be playing in a Super Bowl before the eventual No. 1 pick in the
draft.
The pair couldn't have been in more contrasting
circumstances: Newton had led Auburn to a national title and was the
assumed top pick of the Carolina Panthers. Kaepernick had just spent
four years running something called the "pistol" formation at FBS
middleweight Nevada. He was just hoping to make a roster.
"At that
point I was trying to do anything I could to have an NFL team look at
me," Kaepernick said. "(Being better than him) wasn't even on my mind at
that point."
On
the contrary, Kaepernick's high school coach at Pitman High School in
Turlock, Calif., says the quarterback had a more aggressive plan.
"I talked to him after that," Brandon Harris says. "His mentality was, 'You know what, I'm going to crush that guy.' "
Newton
went on to win the rookie of the year award while Kaepernick rode the
bench after San Francisco chose him with the 36th pick in the draft. In
2012, Newton leveled off with a lower completion percentage, and fewer
yards and touchdowns, while the Panthers finished 7-9. Kaepernick
supplanted Alex Smith in midseason as San Francisco's starting
quarterback, leading the 49ers to a 7-2-1 finish leading up to Super
Bowl XLVII vs. Baltimore.
Kaepernick won't say it's gratifying to
have bested Newton, but Colin's mean streak is noted by his brother,
Kyle, who remembers Colin exploding as a high school basketball player.
"If
someone elbowed him or pushed him; if it became personal and he got
angry, he would just totally take over a game and just dominate," says
Kyle, who is 10 years older than Colin. "And we wanted that to happen.
I'd be sitting in the stands like, man I wish that kid would just elbow
him right now. I'll bet you Colin got technical fouls more than any
player on their team, believe it or not. As soon as someone would elbow
him he'd turn around and shove them."
By Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports