Jay Feely Takes the Political Field as Another NFL Star Enters Republican Ranks

Helped by funding from some of the biggest names in sports, former NFL kicker Jay Feely won the Republican Primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District last week, keeping the Trump-backed nominee in a key race to determine which party controls the House of Representatives.Mr. Feely began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in Atlanta and later kicked for the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears during a 14-year career. He joined the broadcast booth in 2015 and served as color analyst and sideline reporter until 2023.He achieved notoriety in 2005 in his first year playing for the New York Giants. After Mr. Feely missed three field goals, he was lampooned on “Saturday Night Live.” Even then, Mr. Feely had political aspirations, saying shortly after the sketch aired on SNL :”President Bush gets spoofed all the time; President Clinton gets spoofed all the time. If I want to get into politics, I’m sure it’ll happen many more times.” Mr. Feely announced his candidacy for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District in April 2025 and was backed by donations from a storied range of boldfaced sports names including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA legend Charles Barkley, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, broadcaster Jim Nantz, Arizona Cardinals owners Michael, Nicole and Tim Bidwell, and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.Mr. Feely defeated former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough in the GOP election to replace Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., who was running for governor but lost in the Tuesday primary. Mr. Feely advances to the general election, hoping to represent Maricopa County and large parts of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills just outside Phoenix.“This seat is such an important seat,” Mr. Feely said while making his victory speech. “There are three to five seats in the country that will determine who controls the House in November. This is one of those seats. It’s why I’m really excited to be in this race because it’s consequential. It’s going to determine the future of our country.”Mr. Feely, 50, describes himself as a “proud conservative and staunch supporter” of President Trump, who endorsed him in a video message before the primary, calling him a “true America First conservative.” He has played a different sport with President Trump — golf — with the pair teeing off at his clubs at Mar-a-Lago in 2020 and Bedminster, New Jersey, in 2023. Mr. Feely said his motivation for getting into politics is to fight for the future of the country. “This is about friends and family and this is about doing what’s best for this country,” he said. “That’s why I decided to get into this race. That’s why I decided to get into politics and leave a broadcasting job that I only had to work five months a year with seven months off. But there are things that you have to be willing to stand up for and you have to sacrifice. And that’s what politics is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be sacrificial. We need more people to be sacrificial.”Mr. Feely said he was thankful for the support he has received from the sports community. According to data from the Federal Election Commission, Mr. Goodell made two donations of $3,500 to Mr. Feely’s campaign, while Giants coach John Harbaugh donated $2,500. The Bidwill family contributed $17,000.“It’s just been an honor for me to be around the NFL for 25 years and to get a chance to meet the people,” Mr. Feely said.In interviews, Mr. Feely has said his gridiron background has given him the qualities needed to succeed in Congress. “To be a successful kicker in the NFL, you have to be able to handle pressure, and you have to be able handle failure,” he told Fox News Digital. “And I think those two attributes are very tangible attributes that will help you as you try to navigate the political field and try to be effective.”Playing for the Giants and Dolphins, Mr. Feely reckoned, also enables him to handle racial tensions better than he otherwise would have. “The greatest advantage of being an NFL player was to be in those locker rooms where racial walls were broken down and conversations happened and you got to know people which otherwise you might not ever get to know,” he added to Fox News Digital. “Your job is to represent everybody and I think those experiences certainly are an asset.” Mr. Feely will run against Democratic former state representative Amish Shah who, in the course of his medical career, worked as a team physician for the New York Jets. Other prominent Republicans with footballing backgrounds include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, who played cornerback for the Washington Redskins and the then-San Diego Chargers; Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville, currently running for governor of the state, who was a college football coach at institutions including Auburn University and the University of Cincinnati; and Burgess Owens, a retiring U.S. congressman serving Utah’s 4th congressional district, who won a Super Bowl championship playing safety for the then-Oakland Raiders in 1980 and who also played for the New York Jets.

Jay Feely Takes the Political Field as Another NFL Star Enters Republican Ranks

Jay Feely Takes the Political Field as Another NFL Star Enters Republican Ranks

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