Chiefs receiver Chris Conley praises message of Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad

Colin Kaepernick’s voice filled homes across America at the first break in the third quarter of the Falcons-Eagles NFL regular season-opener Thursday night.

“If people say your dreams are crazy, if they laugh at what you think you can do: good, stay that way,” Kaepernick begins. “Because what non-believers fail to understand, is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult. It’s a compliment.”

Even before Nike’s two-minute ‘Dream Crazy’ film hit airwaves, it circulated around the internet, garnering millions of views since it was released Sept. 5.

Some people took issue with the Kaepernick’s prominence and message, destroying their Nike-logoed belongings in videos and photos posted to social media.

Others, like Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley, praised the company’s efforts.

“I think it’s awesome,” he told The Star on Friday. “It’s one of those things, Nike, the message they’re putting out there is, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t. Don’t let anyone tell you you shouldn’t.’

“I really believe in that. I think that it’s such a polarizing issue. There’s some people that say they want to talk about it and say they want to discuss it and debate it, but they don’t. They just want to wait for their two cents and then they want to rail you on it. And so, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year having forums, having debates, discussing what people — really civil debates with people — and at this point, there’s just some people that you can’t convince. There’s some people that you can’t get to because they don’t want to hear.

“And so, I’m proud of the things that people are doing. I’m proud of the things that people have done just outside of raising their voice. I’m proud of the people who have gone out, who have met with kids, met with parents in communities and done things. I’m proud of people who have given their time, who’ve given money and who have really embodied trying to be that force for change. Now, is the country and the world going to notice that? No, because that’s not what sells. But I’m proud of the people who have taken it upon themselves to be that difference.”

Since he was drafted by the Chiefs in 2015, Conley has been one of the most vocal players in the locker room about social issues.

While Conley, the son of an Air Force veteran, hasn’t knelt during the national anthem, he expressed support for those participating in the demonstrations last year. He’s also frequently used his Twitter account as a platform to speak out against violence, addressing the Charlottesville riots and the Tulsa, Oklahoma police shooting in previous years.

So it’s no surprise that Conley had some thoughtful insight on Nike’s polarizing advertisement.

“Nike is a company,” he said. “They want to do things that help their bottom line. But I think that takes courage, too, to get behind someone like that. I’m proud of whoever’s decision that was.

“But really, with or without support, I think it’s huge for the guys who believe in various things to continue to fighting for the things that they believe. There’s going to be times when there’s not going to be a lot of support, there’s not going to be a lot of praise, but you’ve got stand up for what you believe is right.”

Nike will continue to air the ad and an abbreviated version throughout the weekend, according to a report from ESPN’s Darren Rovell. Kaepernick is also the face of the print campaign accompanying the video ad. Large scale versions of the advertisement are going up in big cities around the country, including Los Angeles.

Brooke Pryor

Brooke Pryor covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.