Super Bowl quarterback? To siblings, Kaepernick is just their kid brother

That drive helped earn Colin a football scholarship to the University of Nevada — the only school to offer him one.

"He's a stubborn kid, always has been and always will be," said Devon. "If you told him he couldn't do something, he'd do it just to prove you wrong. I think getting only one offer helped him. He'll do whatever it takes to prove you wrong."

The new starter

Colin was selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and, on Nov. 19, 2012, in a Monday night matchup against Chicago, took over as the Niners' starting quarterback, one of the most prestigious positions in professional sports — right up there with center fielder for the New York Yankees or center for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Think of it: The job held at various times by Y.A. Tittle, John Brodie, Joe Montana and Steve Young now belongs to Colin Kaepernick. And that is the source of much of "Colinmania." Maybe it would be different if he played in Buffalo or St. Louis or Cleveland. But he plays for the 49ers, one of the teams for which he rooted as a kid, and one of the league's true glamour franchises. It's a story that can be embraced by fans in any region of the country. And, for better or worse, Colin's family has been sucked into the frenzy.

So, what's it like being the brother of, essentially, a Beatle?

"We were at a Giants game and some fans came up and one asked, 'Can I take a picture?' " recalled Kyle. "Then they leave and they start screaming. To me that's just weird."

"It's fun and exciting," said Devon. "I'm fortunate that my last name's not Kaepernick anymore. I don't get all the questions.

"I don't go to bars anymore to watch the games. I don't want to hear what anybody else has to say about my brother."

But a lot of people want to hear what the Kaepernicks have to say.

"I've done interviews with the New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Times, and we've got a sit-down interview coming up with the NFL Network," said Kyle. "And I'm going to a Super Bowl. That probably never would've happened if not for Colin."

Spoken like a proud big brother.

Bee staff writer Joe Cortez can be reached at jcortez@modbee.com or (209) 578-2380.