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Before Kaepernick, There was Abdul-Rauf

News this weekend was like reliving 1996 again. That summer http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/21/sports/pro-basketball-abdul-rauf-is-calm-in-face-of-controversy.html">Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf caught the eye of the nation and media when people found out that he would stay in the locker room or stretch on the sideline during the national anthem.

Abdul-Rauf, whose birth name is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ISc8DJFOMg">Chris Jackson, converted to Islam in 1991. He changed his name in 1993. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1990 and http://www.sbnation.com/2014/3/25/5544920/mahmoud-abdul-rauf-nuggets-national-anthem">could light up the scoreboard in the NBA on any given night.

Born in Gulfport, Miss., Abdul-Rauf became one of the most highly recruited basketball players in the history of the state. When he was http://www.wlox.com/story/20462084/the-city-of-gulfport-honors-mahoumd-abdul-rauf">known as Chris Jackson, Abdul-Rauf was a standout player at Gulfport High School and Louisiana State University.

Abdul-Rauf was a smooth guard in high school and college and could score with the best in the country. He was a two-time Mr. Basketball in Mississippi and played in the McDonald’s All-American game.

He was also one of the best free-throw shooters in NBA history. Maybe, if not for the national-anthem firestorm, he could have earned the best free-throw percentage in league history.

Abdul-Rauf called the American flag http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/sports/rodriguez-yankees-home-hostile-home.html?pagewanted=2&ref=sports&pagewanted=all&_r=0">“a symbol of oppression, of tyranny” when asked why he didn’t join his teammates during the national anthem. Fans, media, fellow players and more were divided on how to respond to him.

In June 1996, Abdul-Rauf was traded to Sacramento Kings, where he spent the next two years as mainly a reserve. He played overseas before resurfacing from 2000 to 2001 to play with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Abdul-Rauf didn’t play another minute in the NBA after his single season with the Grizzlies. He finished his career http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Mahmoud-Abdul-Rauf-is-still-playing-basketball?urn=nba-259951">playing overseas in several countries.

Injuries played a part in Abdul-Rauf’s fall from the NBA, but the http://hoopshype.com/2010/02/04/mahmoud-abdul-rauf-after-the-anthem-fiasco-no-team-wanted-to-touch-me/">national anthem controversy without a doubt played a part in his exit from the league.

Fast-forward 20 years, and we are nearly at the same moment once again.

San Francisco http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem">49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the focus of a ton of media and social media attention this weekend for not standing for the national anthem.

"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."

The quarterback is entering his sixth year in the league, and there is a chance that his decision could cause him to not make the final roster. There are a few reasons he could make the team, but this would be his final year.

Just a couple of seasons ago, Kaepernick looked like he was going to be one of the http://www.nfl.com/player/colinkaepernick/2495186/careerstats">biggest stars in the league. His career has gone sideways since leading the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII at the end of the 2012 season.

That Super Bowl season saw the quarterback throw for 1,814 yards with 10 touchdown and three interceptions, while only starting seven games and playing in 13. He followed the Super Bowl season by making 16 for 16 starts and throwing for 3,197 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Kaepernick started to hit the skids during the 2014 season. He threw for 3,369 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In his 16 starts, he nearly threw as many interceptions than his first two years as the primary starter.

Last season, Kaepernick saw his season end early due to injuries and poor play. He only threw for 1,616 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Kaepernick was never great with ball security with nine fumbles (two lost) in 2012, six fumbles (four lost) in 2013, eight fumbles (five lost) in 2014 and five fumbles (one lost) in 2015. His http://www.nfl.com/player/colinkaepernick/2495186/profile">passer rating has dropped each season since 2012, going from 98.3 to 91.6 to 86.4 to 78.5 last season.

Several surgeries this offseason have kept him from working out, and he has lost a great deal of muscle mass, http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/colin-kaepernick-could-be-moved-for-football-reasons-not-anthem-stance-082816">Jay Glazer said on the Fox Sunday pregame show. Glazer also said that Kaepernick has regressed as a player.

Right now, http://www.nfl.com/teams/sanfrancisco49ers/statistics?team=SF">former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert looks like he will be the starter. Former Minnesota Vikings Christian Ponder, rookie draft pick Jeff Driskel and Kaepernick are fighting for the final two spots.

Both Gabbert and Ponder are former first-round draft picks. Driskel was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

This preseason, Kaepernick is just two of six passing for 14 yards. That is not the numbers you want with the second new coaching staff in as many years.

Kaepernick has a http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/08/29/49ers-teammates-standing-with-colin-kaepernick-even-if-they-disagree/">couple of things going in his favor. His $11.9 million salary is guaranteed this season.

If the 49ers cut him, they will have http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/08/28/report-49ers-likely-to-jettison-kaepernick-for-football-reasons/">$11.9 million in dead money on the books. But Kaepernick’s contract contains offset language that if another team signs him, that contract will cut down on what San Francisco owes him.

If San Francisco decides not to cut him, Kaepernick has a clause in his contract that fully guarantees his 2017 salary in case of injury. That means the 49ers won’t want to play him during the season.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/08/28/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-49ers-nfl-peter-king?xid=si_social">Kaepernick could end up like Abdul-Rauf and find his playing career over because of injuries and controversy over the national anthem.

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