Former NFL quarterback and original anthem protester Colin Kaepernick compared the NFL Combine process to a slave auction in Netflix documentary series chronicling his life experiences.
In the series Colin In Black & White, which Kaepernick narrates, the former 49er appears in a scene where he talks about NFL prospects being “poked, prodded, and examined” for defects before the NFL Draft. The players at the “combine” then leave the NFL field and enter a mid-1800’s slave auction where white landowners examine slaves for purchase.
In the scene, Kaepernick says this is how “they” establish a “power dynamic.” The scene closes with the NFL coach and slave auctioneer shaking hands against the backdrop of bonded slaves, in an attempt to establish a generational link between the professional athlete selection process and slavery.