Colin Kaepernick talks QB competition, weight, more

When we last saw you, you talked about getting your strength back and weight back for the start of training camp, where is it?

"Right where it needs to be. Feel good, feel ready to compete, excited for what's to come."

You also talked about maybe being more limber this year than you've been in the past, is that the case? Is your body moving different than it was before you got injured?

"Yeah, it definitely was. There was a lot of weight I needed to get back and a lot of mobility that I needed to keep while I did that. So, my body feels good. I feel ready to go and once again, I'm excited."

Do you see a difference when you're out there throwing with the way you're setup physically right now versus 2013-say?

"That's hard to compare, but I would say it's pretty similar, just a lot looser moving around. I feel a lot better."

Kaepernick: 100 Percent Healthy and Ready for Camp 

During the offseason because of the medical situation, you really only had about a week where you could really get into running the offense. Today how did you feel?

"It felt great. It felt great just to be back on the field to start with, and then to get into the offense and really sink my teeth into it and get comfortable with it. I felt good with everything that I was doing. I felt comfortable with the plays and everything. I think a lot of the mental reps I took in the spring really helped me today and helped me during minicamp."

Head coach Chip Kelly mentioned a clean slate for T Anthony Davis. Is it kind of a clean slate for you today too? It's kind of a milestone day, the first day of training camp, after all you've been through.

"It's another chance to compete. That's what we come out here to do. As far as [T Anthony Davis] AD, it was great to see him back. He looks good. He looks ready to go, excited to see what he can do."

Chip said before practice that you guys were going to split the reps evenly. He has always talked about it being an open, fair competition. How relieving is that for you and is that the sense that you've been getting from it so far?

"Yeah, that's everything that Chip and [quarterbacks coach] Ryan [Day] and [offensive coordinator] Curtis [Modkins] have told me. It's going to be an even competition and I'm here ready to compete."

It looks like you're putting some weight back on.

"Yeah, definitely putting a lot of weight back on. I don't look like my high school self anymore. I feel like I look more like an adult now."

Working with a lot of young receivers, who has stood out to you so far?

"That's hard to say on day one. We have a good group of receivers, like you said, a young group that's willing to work, willing to run, willing to do everything we ask of them to help this offense be successful. So, I think everybody's excited about that."

This may sound kind of simple, but how did you put the weight back on? It was not a very big window you had between when you left here last month and today.

"It was a lot of hard work, a lot of struggle. From the workouts that I did with the training staff to the way I was eating. It was a combination of everything. I just had to be really focused on everything to make sure I did get my weight back and got good weight back."

How much weight did you lose during that time?

"To be honest, I don't know. I never weighed myself when I was at my lightest because I didn't want to know."

How many extra calories would you say you had to take in?

"That I don't know. I just ate as much as I could, as long as I could."

Do any of those injuries require any special treatment now before, during preparation for practice?

"No, no. I'm ready to roll."

Physically, how were you able to cardiovascular-wise, handle this first day of camp?

"Training, that's my specialty. So, that's not an issue. That's not what I worry about. To me, I'm going out there focusing on competing, not worrying about cardio or anything like that."

How natural is this offense coming to you? I know you took mental reps in the offseason. How does it feel?

"It feels great. A lot of the stuff we do is similar to what I did in college, so I have a little bit of that to fall back on, as well as the reps I did take in the spring helped. Whether it's mental reps or walking through it, they all count and they all help."

Does this scheme give you the opportunity to run? I know people say you've got to play in the pocket, but you also don't want to take running away from you. Does it give you that opportunity?

"Yeah, this offense gives, I think, the best opportunity to every offensive player to make plays. I think the scheme is great and puts players in the position to go out and make plays and have big plays at that."

After you threw the interception, I saw you talking to Chip Kelly. What did he say to you? Was that coaching?

"We were just talking about the route, how to get through it. Working on football things."

He mentioned that he had more contact with you as you were behind the quarterbacks during spring camp. How has that relationship been with you and Chip?

"It's been great. Chip comes in every day, he's excited. He has a great energy about him that I think rubs off on everybody. I think that's why you see the team flying around the way they are. That's definitely him imposing his personality on everybody, which is a great thing and our relationship's been great. He's constantly talking through different situations, how he sees things, what I was looking at, things of that nature while we're behind."

As much as you've played with Anthony and worked with him, do you think it will be a pretty quick transition for him getting right back into this offense and learning everything that he may be behind on?

"Yeah, I don't see a huge transition for him. Physically, he looks phenomenal and from everything I know about him and what he's done in the past, he's a worker. He's going to come and work and be prepared and we don't expect anything less."

How do you evaluate where this team is as opposed to a year ago where it was? You have a lot of young guys in the wide receiving corps, [Detroit Lions WR] Anquan [Boldin] is not around, the offensive line gets Anthony Davis back.

"I feel great. I don't think that is something we really compare to last year. I think we come in every day, we work, we focus on what we have to get done today and that's what's going to allow us to get better and continue to build."



* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers