Colin Kaepernick’s new memoir“Perilous Fight”is out, and it contains a revelation nobody saw coming. According to Kaepernick, his mother Tessa told him during his NFL years that he should ask out Taylor Swift because they would be“perfect together.”This was long before Travis Kelce ever made his move on the pop superstar. Kaepernick’s response to the idea? He says Swift was“not my type,”though he made clear it was no slight against her.
The memoir goes deeper than the celebrity what-if. Kaepernick uses the story as an example of his belief that his mother couldn’t see who he really was. He recalls that she once hid a homecoming photo of him with a Black classmate while keeping a dance photo with a white classmate on display. It’s a candid look at race and family expectations from one of the most talked-about athletes of the last decade.
As for how it all shook out? Swift got engaged to Kelce in August 2025 and married him in July 2026. Kaepernick is married to radio host Nessa Diab, and they share a child. Everyone found their happy ending, just not the one Kaepernick’s mom had in mind. What would you have done if your mom tried to set you up with the biggest pop star on the planet?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.