Mom urged Kaepernick to ask Taylor Swift before Kelce's romance

**Colin Kaepernick’s Mom Urged Him to Ask Taylor Swift Out Years Before Kelce’s Romance**

Colin Kaepernick’s newest memoir, *Perilous Fight*, was published Tuesday and contains a startling flashback: his mother, Tessa, told him he should have asked pop‑star Taylor Swift out before the singer began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The advice came long before Kelce’s public romance and the 2023‑2026 whirlwind that followed.

In the book, Kaepernick writes that his mother “told me that I should ask out Taylor Swift (long before Travis Kelce made his move) because we would be perfect together.” He added, “was not [his] type,” clarifying that the advice was not meant as a slight to the singer.

The story is a glimpse into a private family conversation that now echoes in the public eye.

The ex‑NFL quarterback, 38, does not specify when the conversation occurred. Kaepernick’s career with the San Francisco 49ers spanned 2011 to 2016, after which he retired following controversy over his kneeling protest of the national anthem. He filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017 and settled it two years later.

Since then, he has spoken publicly about his life outside football, including his relationship with radio host Nessa Diab and their child born in 2022.

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## Background & Context

Colin Kaepernick’s professional journey began in 2011 with the 49ers, a team that would later become embroiled in one of the NFL’s most heated social justice debates. His protest—kneeling during the anthem—sparked a national conversation about racism and police brutality.

After being released by the league in 2016, Kaepernick filed a grievance that culminated in a settlement with the NFL in 2019. He has not played since, though he once joked to *Us* Weekly that “We got the cleats by the door. We’ll be out the door,” hinting at a possible return.

In his personal life, Kaepernick married radio host Nessa Diab in August 2025, as she revealed publicly that they had wed “years ago.” The couple welcomed a baby together in 2022. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in the summer of 2023.

The pair announced their engagement in August 2025 and married in July 2026, marking a highly publicized love story that has dominated pop‑culture headlines for the past year.

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## What People Are Saying

Kaepernick’s memoir offers a candid look at his mother’s influence on his early romantic decisions.

He recounts that Tessa convinced him to ask a classmate, Lindsay, to the school dance, noting that “Lindsay was white.” The photo of the dance was “promptly plastered … on the wall for all to see,” whereas a similar picture with Black classmate Crystal was hidden away in a drawer. Kaepernick writes, “In her mind, Crystal was just a phase.

Lindsay was the kind of girl I should want.”

Beyond his mother’s advice on dating, Kaepernick reflects on Taylor Swift’s perceived compatibility with him.

He acknowledges that his mom saw a potential partnership but ultimately concluded that Swift “was not [his] type.” In a broader sense, he has commented on his place among current quarterbacks, stating, “It’s tough to say because I haven’t been watching the games, but I will check the stat lines,” and added that he believes he might be “better than a good amount” of contemporary QBs.

These revelations provide a rare glimpse into the private dynamics that shaped Kaepernick’s early adult life, while also intersecting with a pop‑culture narrative that many readers may find surprisingly familiar.

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## What Happens Next

The memoir does not outline a clear path forward for Kaepernick’s football career, but his own words suggest he remains open to the possibility. The casual reference to cleats indicates a lighthearted readiness to re‑enter the game, though he also admits he has not kept up with current NFL statistics.

Whether that translates into an actual comeback remains unconfirmed.

Outside the gridiron, Kaepernick’s family life appears settled: his marriage to Diab was formalized in 2025, and they share a child. Meanwhile, the Taylor Swift‑Travis Kelce couple has already entered matrimony, their wedding taking place in July 2026.

In this context, Kaepernick’s memoir offers a nostalgic look back at a different era of romantic possibilities, juxtaposed with the present day’s high‑profile celebrity relationships.

Colin Kaepernick’s revelations about his mother’s advice to pursue Taylor Swift add an unexpected layer to the story of two very different paths—one that culminated in a historic football protest and the other in a pop‑star romance that has captured worldwide attention.

Whether he will step back onto the field or continue to watch from the sidelines, his new book invites readers to consider how early family guidance can echo far beyond its original setting.