Dez Bryant slammed for saying Colin Kaepernick had no call to action

By Terry Shropshire
Sep 28, 2021
8:58 am

Former NFL star Dez Bryant is under intense fire after he claimed that fellow ex-gridiron star Colin Kaepernick failed to come up with an action plan following his famous protest during the national anthem.

Bryant, who played wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, told the hosts of the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Chad Johnson and Brandon Marshall, also ex-NFL players, that Kaepernick failed those who stood up beside him or supported him during that tumultuous time beginning in 2016.

“I respect Colin Kaepernick, but there’s one thing that I don’t respect,” he said. “I said when I get the opportunity, and to get on the stage and say it, I would and I love him to death. So, it ain’t no hate or nothing like that, but brother, you had the biggest opportunity in the world to create jobs, build jobs, give jobs to people.”

Bryant believes that Kaepernick should have graduated onto actionable items instead of allegedly retreating into obscurity following his banishment from the NFL.

“The people that you was talking about, the people you so-called standing up for, the people who stood beside you, the people who lost their jobs because of you,” Bryant added. “Where you at? I ain’t heard from you.”

Listen to Bryant’s comments below:

@DezBryant calls out Colin Kaepernick on @IAMATHLETEpod pic.twitter.com/1fEgRuK5To

— Sports Now with Darius & Aiden (@SportsNow_DA) September 27, 2021

Many listeners took umbrage with Bryant’s denigration of Kaepernick, most notably former ESPN star reporter Jemele Hill.

With all due respect @DezBryant, this is uninformed. Colin Kaepernick has created a publishing company, a SPAC that’s raising $300M for social justice initiatives, a production company, etc. On top of founding the Know Your Rights Camp. I don’t get the point of dragging his name. https://t.co/rKt6GUlHmg

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 27, 2021

Bryant responded to Hill with this thought:

I’m a product of media hate so I get it.. @jemelehill you could have called me & got a better understanding of what I was saying ..but you have your own motive… I’ve reached out to kap for yrs and no response…raising 300 mil would be easy if we had unity amongst athletes 🤔 https://t.co/lDxy62bEYC

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 27, 2021

Others were equally appalled at Bryant and spat venom at the outspoken ex-athlete.

I immediately Googled #DezBryant creates jobs & found his $70 mill contract extension, his parking in a fire lane & cursing out a security guard who asked him to pull up his sagging pants & helping to raise only $50,000 for SA. When #DezBryant changes the world, someone call me. https://t.co/Picq6PsDDi

— Rochelle Riley (@rochelleriley) September 28, 2021