Colin Kaepernick will be making just his 10th start in the NFL in Super Bowl XLVII, but the second-year quarterback says he’s not the least bit nervous about the big stage.
Kaepernick and the 49ers arrived in New Orleans on Sunday night, excited for the week of festivities but also ready to get to work. When asked about his level of excitement and the nerves involved in such a big game, Kaepernick shrugged off the expectations.
“I’ve said this before: Pressure, I feel like, comes from lack of preparation,” Kaepernick said, according to Pro Football Talk. “This isn’t going to be a pressure situation. It is going to be a matter of going out there and performing physically.”
Kaepernick has played with poise and confidence this postseason, exceeding expectations with nearly 700 yards and five total touchdowns in the 49ers’ two playoff wins. He even led San Francisco to an incredible comeback victory from 17 points down against the Falcons last week in Atlanta, showing just how cool he can be in “pressure” situations.
He did appear at least a little shaky in his first postseason start against the Packers, throwing a pick-six on the 49ers’ first drive and conceding an early 7-0 lead, but he also responded with more than 400 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in the eventual 45-31 rout.
Kaepernick has shown time and again that, just as he said, pressure does not affect him, whether it be the regular season or the playoffs. But the Super Bowl presents a stage that even the best players in the game can hardly imagine or properly prepare for. The pressure of this game will be heightened for every player on the field — even the electrifying young quarterback. But, if the past is any indication, the stage won’t likely have an effect on his performance come Sunday.
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