Kaepernick anthem protest draws fire.

Oh, Colin . ... It was a noble thought. But not the right place for it.

The 49ers’ once promising quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, finds himself in the middle of a full-tilt firestorm after sitting down during the national anthem before Friday night’s preseason game at Levi’s Stadium.

The criticism is coming from all

sides, and there will be little in the way of shelter.

Kaepernick explained his actions to NFL Network, saying it was a conscious protest in support of black civil rights and specifically mentioning police shootings. And it says here that every American has the right to protest in a peaceful and respectful fashion.

But Kaepernick’s protest feels misplaced, the latest in a string of incidents that point to poor judgment and a career gone wrong.

A cynic might say the disgruntled quarterback was simply trying to get out of town. It’s no secret that Kaepernick requested a trade in the offseason. His relationship with management is in tatters. And his miserable performance on the field against the Packers on Friday pretty much guarantees he’ll start the season as a backup to journeyman Blaine Gabbert.

Throw in the fact that new head coach Chip Kelly is an ardent supporter of the military, to the point of going on USO tours, and Kaepernick just might get that one-way ticket.

But there is clearly more going on here. Kaepernick — who is biracial, adopted and raised by white parents — sincerely believes that racial injustice is a prevalent problem in America. It’s hard to argue with him. The numbers don’t lie. Nor do the videos. Friday night, he joined a long list of prominent athletes who have made public demonstrations in support of the African American community, including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in the NBA.

But the quarterback’s tactics in support of equality have been relatively ham-fisted in comparison with his colleagues. Just last week, Kaepernick reportedly retweeted images of the American flag and the Confederate flag, with the following comment: “The fact that you really believe there is difference in these flags means that your [sic] ignoring history.”

The post was taken down, but the message was clear. And the damage was done. That’s the kind of naive analysis you might expect from a college freshman, just beginning to understand the issues and jumping to simplistic comparisons. Equating the American flag to the Confederate flag is just plain wrong. And sitting out the national anthem will only draw scorn.

Kaepernick is fighting the good fight. But he’s using the wrong weapons.

It’s a damn shame, too. Whenever the 49ers’ quarterback finds himself in some controversy — and it sure seems like a regular occurrence — I always think back to the thoughtful young man we first met when he visited the Bay Area as a collegian, playing his last game for the University of Nevada in a bowl game at AT&T Park.

He was a revelation. A brilliant athlete on the field who was even more impressive off it. Well-spoken. Intelligent. Devoted to his community, his family, his church. You couldn’t dream up a better young man. His future seemed impossibly bright.

When the 49ers drafted him a few months later, in spring 2011, few predicted the success

he would eventually enjoy on the field. He grabbed the starting job midway through his second season, and Kaepernick’s inspiring performances down the stretch and through the playoffs led San Francisco to the Super Bowl, where they fell just 5 yards short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

He continued his strong play the next couple of seasons, but you could begin to see cracks in Kaepernick’s persona. Surely influenced by mentors like Jim Harbaugh and Randy Moss, the quarterback withdrew from the media. The national press began taking idiotic potshots at him for his tattoos and headphones and attire. It was ridiculous garbage, racially tinged, but it got to him.

When his body started to fail him, and the 49ers imploded under the weight of a ludicrous power struggle between Harbaugh and upper management, Kaepernick was left alone, taking a beating on the field and in the press.

The end result is what we see before us today. A talented and intelligent young man who is trying to make sense of a senseless world. The NFL he plays in is rife with hypocrisy, racism, sexism and indifference. The society he lives in is worse.

So who could blame Kaepernick for this political awakening? He’s been the target of racially motivated criticism on the job. He feels deep empathy for the African American community that is under literal fire in the streets. He’s still a young man (28) who is finding his identity, his place in this world.

You just wish he would think these things out a bit more. With his fame and his significant financial resources, Kaepernick could empower real change in the movement he champions.

Sharing hateful messages on social media and sitting out the national anthem will get you plenty of attention, but I’m not sure anyone benefits.

Here’s hoping that Kaepernick weathers this storm and comes out with a better understanding of how he can use his platform to engender positive change in our society. Hopefully, he learns that giving the racial dividers and the haters more ammunition isn’t the answer.

Perhaps we’ve seen the best of Colin Kaepernick on the field. Perhaps the best is yet to come off the field.