Pride Of Turlock, Kaepernick Shines In Start For 49ers
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13) - The talk of Turlock is now the talk of the Bay Area after Colin Kaepernick stepped in for Alex Smith and led the 49ers to a big win over the Chicago Bears in front of a national television audience Monday night.
Kaepernick led the 49ers on scoring drives on their first four possessions on the way to a surprisingly easy 32-7 win.
Fans in Sacramento were rooting him on all the way.
"It's great," one man said as he watched at a local establishment. "Kaepernick's doing a great job. It's great to see him playing so well."
He completed 10 of 12 in the first half and ended up passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns in place of Smith, out recovering from a concussion.
"I wanted to come out and show what I was capable of and show I could be a starter. And that's what I've been trying to prove since I've been here," Kaepernick said afterward. "It's everything I could've ever wished for. It feels great just to be out there."
Message received, just like most of Kaepernick's passes.
We caught up with Kaepernick's parents at his boyhood home in turlock earlier this year. The three-sport high school star chose football as his path and never looked back.
Mom called it all along.
"He's ready for that," she said then. "He's been training for months now."
Now, everyone's a believer.
Kaepernick isn't just in the NFL. He's good enough to start … and win … and stay humble.
"Our defense did a good job holding them," he said. "We came out on top, so it was good."
After the game, the attention immediately turned to whether Kaepernick would keep the starting job next week or if Smith would be back behind center.
Coach Jim Harbaugh sounded like he was leaning toward Kaepernick when asked about it after the game.
"I usually tend to go with the hot hand, and we've got two quarterbacks with hot hands," he said. "We'll make that decision when we have to make it."
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
