Colin Kaepernick Clears Out Closet, Donates Shoes And Clothes To Homeless Shelters And Orphanages [Video]

Beleaguered San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took several hours of his day to clear out his closet and donate all the clothing to local homeless shelters and orphanages earlier this week.

“Cool move from Colin Kaepernick…who decided to clear out a BUNCH of shoes from his insanely expensive Nike collection and donate them to homeless shelters and orphanages,” TMZ reports. “Kaepernick — along with his girlfriend, Nessa [Diab]— raided the QB’s closet, packing up shoes, clothing and hats to donate to a couple of places, including the Dorothy Day House in Berkeley.”

In video posted by TMZ, Kaepernick and Nessa, a radio and TV personality who has hosted MTV shows and goes only by her first name professionally, can be seen packing a van with several boxes and bags of shoes and clothing.

Colin Kaepernick donated his massive shoe collection to Bay Area homeless shelters.
Bravo Colin!???????????????? pic.twitter.com/hRRCpc4E9W

— Crystal Johnson (@Crystal1Johnson) January 7, 2017

“And he didn’t just give them his worn-out crap — we’re talking Air Max, Jordans, Timberlands, etc,” TMZ notes. “Just from eyeballing it… it appears to be thousands of dollars worth of gear.”

Colin Kaepernick has come under fire in recent months for both his performance on the field and his social activism off the field.

The 49ers have indeed been struggling in recent years. They finished the 2016 season with a record of 2-14, making them the second worst team in the NFL, behind only the Cleveland Browns.

However, it is his activism off the field — well, and on the sidelines — that has almost literally put Kaepernick in the crosshairs of disgruntled NFL fans.

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Kaepernick began a silent protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against the oppression of people of color in the United States last fall.

Kaepernick refused to stand during the National Anthem before an August 26 pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers. The act sparked outrage among many fans, and put Kaepernick on the hot seat with some teammates and the NFL.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, New Orleans’ Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Jerry Rice, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who won three Super Bowl championships playing for the 49ers, all criticized Kaepernick or questioned his “method” of protest.

However, others came to his side, including NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kaepernick was never formerly reprimanded by the NFL or the 49ers because neither has an official policy requiring players to stand for the National Anthem. In subsequent games, he did compromise and began taking a knee rather than remaining seated during the anthem, out of respect to veterans who felt slighted by the action.

As the weeks went on, several more players from the 49ers and multiple other teams began to join Kaepernick in his silent protest.

Some fans who did not agree with Kaepernick’s views might have taken things too far. At a San Francisco 49ers vs. Buffalo Bills game at New Era Field (formerly Ralph Wilson Stadium) in October, vendors outside the stadium sold T-shirts with Colin Kaepernick’s likeness targeted in rifle crosshairs.

Shirts with a rifle scope trained on Colin Kaepernick selling for $10 outside of Ralph Wilson stadium. pic.twitter.com/bSuxF3G5qq

— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) October 16, 2016

It didn’t phase Kaepernick. He continued his protest.

And this week’s display of charity was not the first for Colin Kaepernick.

After fans loudly booed Kaepernick as he stepped on the field for a pre-season away game against the San Diego Chargers in September, he pledged to donate $1 million to groups affected by the racial inequality and police brutality he hopes to spotlight with his protests, USA Today reported at the time.

Regardless of what you think of Colin Kaepernick or his politics, it is always nice to see athletes and celebrities giving back to society.

[Featured Image by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]