"The Sunday Political Brunch" -- February 5, 2017

Dr. Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a nationally-known political reporter and analyst based on the East Coast.

(Charleston, West Virginia) – I chuckled the other night when U.S. Supreme Court
nominee Neil Gorsuch paid tribute to the Justice for whom he clerked,
the late legal (and football great) Byron “Whizzer” White. He said White
was, “the only Justice who ever lead the NFL in rushing!” It reminded
me of the columns I’ve written on Super Bowl Sundays for the past six
years honoring great athletes who went on to stellar careers in the
political arena. Let’s “brunch” on that this week:

“Here Comes the Justice” – In college and the in the NFL he was known
as Byron “Whizzer” White, and was elected to the College Football Hall
of Fame. In Washington, D.C., they called him Justice Byron White, the
only NFL player to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court (photo above).
He was also Deputy Attorney General to Robert F. Kennedy, and
administered the Oath of Office to Vice President Al Gore. Like Gorsuch,
White was a Colorado native, who in fact led the NFL in rushing in 1938
and 1940. White is the only person from Colorado to serve on the high
court.

“Here Comes the Judge” – Alan Page was one of the greatest defensive
lineman in NFL history, and is in the Hall of Fame. A Notre Dame
graduate, Page went to the University of Minnesota Law School in the
off-seasons and was a member of the Minnesota Supreme Court, until he
reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2015. Page played in four
Super Bowls and lost them all.

“Ford Motors” – Certainly the most athletic of our Presidents was
Gerald Ford. He was an All-American in football at the University of
Michigan, and was drafted to play in the NFL by the Detroit Lions and
Green Bay Packers. But Ford chose to go to Yale Law School instead, and
helped coach the Ivy League football team. He also was an assistant
football coach at my alma mater - St. Mary’s College of California -
which was a national football powerhouse back in the 1940s and 50s. Like
most modern Presidents, Ford was an avid golfer.

“The NFL in Congress” – There have been several NFL players who later
turned to politics and won seats in Congress. They include Steve
Largent of the Seattle Seahawks, Heath Schuler of the Washington
Redskins and New Orleans Saints, and Jon Runyan of the Philadelphia
Eagles. Canadian Football star J.C. Watts served eight years in Congress
from Oklahoma.

“That’s Quite a Class” – New England Patriot’s head coach Bill
Belichick will be coaching his seventh Super Bowl team this year.
Belichick is a 1971 graduate of the prestigious Phillips Academy
Andover. His classmates included former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) – a
candidate for President in 2016 - and former Gov. Lincoln Chafee (D-RI),
also a candidate for President in 2016. Patriot’s executive Ernie Adams
was also in that class. At one of his White House Super Bowl
receptions, Belichick posed with President George W. Bush, who graduated
from the same prep school in 1964.

“A Close Second” – 1996 Republican Vice Presidential nominee Jack
Kemp was an NFL quarterback for the New York Giants, but did not get to
play in the 1957 NFL Championship. He also played with the San Diego
Charges and the Buffalo Bills in the old AFL, playing in five AFL
Championships games, winning in 1965 and taking home the MVP trophy.
Kemp served 18 years in Congress and was Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development under President George H.W. Bush.

“Player; Coach; and. Congressman” – Tom Osborne had quite a career.
After graduating from Hastings College in Nebraska, he went on to play
on the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins.
Later he would be one of the most successful coaches in college football
history, winning three national championships at the University of
Nebraska. While that’s enough of a career for one lifetime, Osborne
turned to politics winning three terms in Congress before retiring in
2007.

Who is your favorite athlete-politician? Just click the comment button at www.MarkCurtisMedia.com.

© 2017, Mark Curtis Media, LLC.

Photo courtesy: cbsdenver.com