Nick Bosa apologizes for Kaepernick tweet, says Bay Area might be best place for him
A fatigued Nick Bosa, who flew to the Bay Area early Friday morning following the first round of the NFL draft in Nashville, Tenn., took the stage inside Levi’s Stadium knowing what was coming.
He got a glimpse during a conference call with Bay Area reporters Thursday night, shortly after the 49ers made him the No. 2 overall selection and changed his life.
Friday was his in-person introductory press conference, which was going to include more questions about his old social media habits which have come under the microscope leading to the draft. Bosa faced questions about why he posted a Tweet calling former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick “a clown” and if he understands how things he wrote in the past might have hurt people.
“I definitely made some insensitive decisions throughout my life,” Bosa said. “I’m just excited to be here with a clean slate. I’m sorry if I hurt anybody. I definitely didn’t intend for that to be the case.”
Bosa, who spoke quietly with senses of remorse and embarrassment, believes his new surroundings could help him as he wades into life in professional football.
“I think me being here is even better for me as a person because I don’t think there’s anywhere, any city, that you could really be in that would help you grow as much as this one will,” Bosa said. “I’m going to be surrounded with people, all different kinds, so I’m going to grow as a person and I’m going to be on my own.”
Bosa was asked specifically if he still considered Kaepernick “a clown” despite becoming endeared by under-represented communities for his protest against racial discrimination and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem.
Kaepernick, of course, was backed by the 49ers when his protest began, with team CEO Jed York matching his $1 million donation to various charities.
“It wasn’t directed towards (his protest),” Bosa said. “It’s not like I’m saying his stance and what he was doing (was wrong). ... It was just me, a specific thing that happened. To me, as a young kind, a thought popped into my head and boom, decided to tweet it out. But, a bad decision. I respect what he’s done. If it empowers anybody, then he’s doing a good thing. So I apologize for that.”
Bosa said he allowed his agent to take control of his social media since declaring for the draft, which is typical for prospects coming out of college.
“He just went through and deleted whatever he thought would rub people the wrong way and I didn’t think people would take that as me trying to hide things,” he said.
Now that Bosa’s social media history has become a hot-button topic, he’s vowing to be more careful, hoping his play on the field will overshadow decisions he’s made online.
“I’ve learned a lot the past couple months,” he said. “Definitely going to think a lot more before I send something out.”
On the field, the 49ers are excited about what Bosa could bring to their defensive line. He was widely considered the best defensive prospect in the draft and becomes the fifth first-round pick to join San Francisco’s defensive front. Specifically, he’ll bookend the line opposite Dee Ford, a 2018 Pro Bowl selection with the Kansas City Chiefs who was acquired via trade last month.
The 49ers had the No. 2 overall selection after their 4-12 finish to last season, which was mostly a product of losing franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3.
Bosa said he’s looking forward to being matched with Ford and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season as a injury replacement. Buckner, the seventh-overall selection in 2016, had a career-best 12 sacks.
“I think it’s the best roster for any team that’s picking that high,” he said. “Obviously, they had the injury last year which allowed them to pick that high. I think it’s pretty awesome that I’m joining a team that’s already assembled a pretty darn good squad.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 4:43 PM.
