Rodney Harrison apologizes for saying Kaepernick is 'not black'

Former NFL safety Rodney Harrison apologized Tuesday for claiming San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is "not black."

Kaepernick, who was born to a white mother and black father, made headlines by declaring he'll continue not to stand during the national anthem to protest the discrimination faced by people in the U.S.

"I tell you this, I'm a black man. And Colin Kaepernick - he's not black," Harrison said during an interview on iHeartRadio on Tuesday morning. "He can not understand what I face and what other young black men and black people face, or people of color face, on a every single (day) basis. When you walk in a grocery store, and you might have $2,000 or $3,000 in your pocket and you go up into a Foot Locker and they're looking at you like you about to steal something."

It didn't take long for Harrison to come under intense scrutiny for his comments. He issued the following apology on Twitter:

In addition to apologizing, Harrison pleaded ignorance.