Colin Kaepernick has managed to weave his way back onto the football field. Not as a starting quarterback but for an audition workout while donning the name “Kunta Kinte” on his T-shirt. Yeah, that’s right. Kaepernick showed up to a tryout for the NFL wearing an all-black Kunta Kinte T-shirt. For those of you who don’t know, Kunta Kinte is a fictitious character in Alex Haley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Roots. Kunta Kinte was said to have been sold to an American slaveowner while resisting enslavement. Portrayed as a slave who was beaten when told to speak his new name, Toby, Kunta Kinte chose to become a martyr. The slave was given a choice by his brutal slave master: Castration or have his foot chopped off. He chose the latter.

So what exactly does this have to do with Colin Kaepernick and a job interview? I am glad you asked. The NFL set up a tryout with 25 NFL teams at the Atlanta Falcons’ facilities. Three hours before the workout, Kaepernick changed the venue, changed the camera crew, changed the narrative, and ultimately changed the direction of him ever being employed by the NFL again. His camp said it was based on a waiver the NFL wanted him to sign that would ensure if he were to get hurt that they were not liable. It reads, “I acknowledge neither this agreement nor my participation at the camp creates an employment relationship or otherwise constitutes a promise of current or future employment with the NFL…” This waiver essentially protects the NFL from injury and lets Kaepernick know that he’s not guaranteed a quarterback position because of the workout.

Here is the kicker, no pun intended. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL and settled in February. The NFL has put parameters in place to ensure the league incurs no liabilities. What’s wrong with that? Not only has the NFL settled with Kaepernick, but also the league is bending over backwards to allow him to try out for a team — something the anthem-kneeling QB has requested. How does Colin “Kunta Kinte” Kaepernick show his appreciation? After his workout at a high school in Riverdale, Georgia, he spoke to the media.

Here’s his full statement:

Let me start by saying, I appreciate y'all coming out. That means a lot to me. Our biggest thing with everything today is making sure we had transparency with what went on. We weren’t getting that elsewhere, so we came out here.

It’s important that y'all are here. Y'all been attacked for the last three years, you continue to be attacked. We appreciate what y'all do, we appreciate you being here today, we appreciate the work you do for the people in telling the truth. That’s what we want in everything.

I’ve been ready for three years. I’ve been denied for three years. We all know why I came out here today and showed it in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide.

So we’re waiting for the 32 owners, the 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them to stop running, stop running from the truth, stop running from the people. Around here, we’re ready to play, we’re ready to go anywhere, [and] my agent Jeff Nalley is ready to talk to any team. I’ll interview with any team at any time.

I’ve been ready. I’m staying ready. And I’ll continue to be ready. To all the people that came out today to support, I appreciate y'all, I love y'all. To the people that aren’t here, I’m thinking of you. I appreciate you supporting from where you are. We’ll continue to give you updates as we hear. We’ll be waiting to hear from Roger Goodell, the NFL, 32 teams. We’ll let you know if we hear from them.

The ball’s in their court. We’re ready to go.

Five Ways to Not Get Hired:

1. Show up late to the interview and give last minute notice and change the location where you’ll be interviewed.

2. Tell the employer what they are going to do.

3. Come dressed in garb that associates you as a slave being controlled by so-called slave masters.

4. Berate the employer and tell them what they have to do in order to employ you.

5. Call your potential employer a liar.

At the end of the day, Keapernick and his followers will cry victim if he doesn’t get the job. They will say it’s due to the ongoing legacy of slavery. It’s funny how he wants to be an employee to the one he feels will enslave him.