The Republican Party of Florida is looking to do what no NFL team has been able to do: make a star out of Tim Tebow. And if Tebow makes the decision to run, he’ll join a strangely long history of football stars trading the pigskin for pork barrel spending.
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On Tuesday, veteran Jacksonville Rep. Ander Crenshaw unexpectedly announced that he would not seek a ninth term in Congress, leaving the GOP in search of a candidate to run for Crenshaw’s seat. There are plenty of local options, but Republican operatives are reportedly reaching out to Tebow, who lives in Jacksonville and is currently without a day job.
Apparently, Tebow has expressed some interest in pursuing a career in politics, most recently at a Jacksonville charity golf outing, when he told a Fox reporter he found the prospect “intriguing.” He’s not opposed to a career in public service—his foundation helps children in need, building playgrounds in underprivileged areas and arranging dream dates for kids with terminal illnesses—and he’s certainly been vocal about his conservative leanings.
Tebow is unlikely to return to football. Although he won the Heismann Trophy in 2007, held five NCAA records, and was a first round NFL draft pick, Tebow couldn’t catch a break (or throw a straight pass) with an NFL team. He led the Broncos to a flukey division championship, but was then traded around, never earning a starting quarterback role. He finally landed with the Philadelphia Eagles last August, where he was released after four preseason games.
But while Tebow hasn’t managed to log a single minute of professional playing time since 2015, he’s still ridiculously popular. He’s America’s 5th favorite NFL quarterback, beating out Hall of Famers and Super Bowl winners. Entire swaths of op-eds have been devoted to explaining the enduring Tebowmania. “Tebowing,” his signature move, was even made an option in the Madden 2013 video game, cementing his status as a viral phenomenon. And though the NFL may not like the way he plays the game, the fans still do: a petition is being circulated to bring Tebow back to the Broncos, now that QB Peyton Manning is officially retired.
All that popularity could come to good use if he decides to enter the Florida Congressional race—he has plenty of time to decide before the August 30th filing deadline. He wouldn’t be the first to transition from QB to Congressman. There have been several college and professional football superstars who’ve made a name for themselves in the hallowed halls of the nation’s capitol when they couldn’t stick it out anymore on the gridiron:
1. Gerald Ford: President Gerald Ford was probably our nation’s least notable Commander in Chief, but before he was falling from Presidential helicopters, he was a star player for the University of Michigan. He turned down the Detroit Lions to go to law school (which, given the history of the Detroit Lions, was probably a smart move).
2. Heath Shuler: Health Shuler is sort of the original Tim Tebow. A star in college, he signed an eight year, nearly $20 million contract with the Redskins. He struggled, got traded for some draft picks, moved back to his hometown and won his second long-term contract in 2006, this time as a Democratic Congressman. Shuler was a whip of the “Blue Dog” moderate Democrats coalition, and sided against his own party to oppose the Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare).
3. J.C. Watts: Watts played for the University of Oklahoma and tried to get drafted by the New York Jets, but ended up in the Canadian Football League instead. When he moved back to Oklahoma, he became the first African-American to win statewide office, and in 1994, was elected to Congress. He is probably best known for being part of Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America, and for being the first African American (and youngest Congressman) to deliver the Republican response to then-President Bill Clinton’s State of the Union address.
4. Steve Largent: Steve Largent didn’t just play football. He was an all-star, Hall of Fame wide receiver, who played for the Seattle Seahawks for 14 seasons. When Jim Inhofe retired from his House seat to run for Senate, Largent ran to replace him and won. He left his seat to run for governor, but lost when his opponent decided to endorse cockfighting (no, really). His time in Congress was quiet, though he did once, in 2001, try to abolish the tax code.
5. Jack Kemp: Jack Kemp might be best known as one of only a few Presidential candidates in history to grasp supply-side economics. But he was a star player for Occidental College, was drafted by the Detroit Lions, relegated to practice squads, and finally picked up by the San Diego Chargers, where he flourished. He later played for Buffalo, where he set up permanent residency, becoming a nine-term Congressman and a fixture of 1980s politics. Kemp was hugely influential, particularly in the area of tax reform, during his time in government. He introduced and promoted the so-called “Flat Tax” (most recently championed by Presidential candidate Ted Cruz), and his work on eliminating poverty gave him the opportunity to serve as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the first President George Bush. His legacy lives on in the House; Speaker Paul Ryan considered Kemp a mentor.