Ex-Michigan National Champion Announces Congressional Bid

Okay, so picture this. A dude who once strapped on his helmet for the Wolverines, slinging footballs, suddenly gets bitten by the politics bug. Yeah, you heard me right. It’s Jay Feely, and he’s throwing his hat into the ring for Congress. Like, really?

So, anyways, Feely’s one of those guys who played football, retired, and instead of just kicking his feet up, he decides to dive headfirst into politics. I mean, it makes sense, I guess. Herschel Walker did it. Tommy Tuberville did it. Jay’s just the next in line.

Feely’s aiming to nab a seat in Arizona’s fifth congressional district in 2026. And he’s pretty stoked about it, saying something along the lines of feeling like God’s calling on him—real passionate stuff. Or maybe he’s just tired of seeing politicians making it a lifelong gig, thinking it’s more a stint in “civil service.” Kind of refreshing, honestly.

Here’s a fun tidbit. Before all this political hoopla, Feely scored a hefty 82.6% on field goals during his NFL days (which isn’t too shabby). Then CBS swooped him up for sideline duty—talk about not quite leaving the gridiron behind.

Now, fast forward to 2020 or 2021 or whenever it was—Feely’s political spark ignited from what you could call a pretty crazy event. There was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Yes, scary stuff, with a dude named Thomas Matthew Crooks firing shots. Feely saw it as a wake-up call, pushing him toward public office ambitions. He felt it was one of those “Aha!” moments. But, hey, who am I to say what flips a switch for somebody?

And yeah, during the 2024 elections, Feely was trumpeting support for Trump across Arizona. Maybe he’ll get a nod of approval back from Trump if the orange guy pops up during Feely’s 2026 run. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “political football,” don’t ya think?