From Player to Politician (Part 2)
This is a continuation of the first part of this article, discussing sportsman who went from great players to politicians.
Leslie Lynch King, Jr. was a linebacker and center for the University of Michigan Wolverines, as an undergraduate. He helped them achieve two undefeated seasons and national titles in both 1932 and 1933. What’s that? You’ve never heard of a Leslie King?
Well, after his mother remarried, he was named to what he is known as today, Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States. After graduating from Michigan, Ford was offered positions in the NFL by the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers,
but declined, so that he could attend Yale as a coach and a law student. After Yale, Ford enlisted in the Navy, following the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II, and then ran for Michigan’s House of Representatives member in 1949.
When former President Richard Nixon resigned, Ford became the President, for one term, from August 9, 1974 to January 20, 1977. He died in December 26, 2006 from natural causes, at the ripe old age of 93. He is the only vice-President and President in history
to take office without being voted. Talk about luck!
Aside from President Ford, there is one well known athlete and actor who sought a career in politics. Let’s start with some hints. He began weight lifting at the age of 15. He was titled Mr. Universe at 20. He also won Mr. Olympia seven times and is still
today, the youngest person to be crowned Mr. Olympia, at 23. Still don’t know who it is? Well he was born in Austria, as you can tell by his accent, and is also an actor. His most popular movie, which almost everybody has seen, is
The Terminator. Now you know!
Arnold Schwarzenegger went from body-builder, to actor, to businessman, and now to Governor of California. Schwarzenegger won the 2003 election with over 4 million votes, with a percentage of 48.6 and then again in 2006 with a percentage of 55.9. He also
became a very successful business man after he moved to the United States by using a very simple technique, which you can use too. Schwarzenegger would write his goals for the year on index cards, things such as buy a new car or start a bricklaying business,
and strive to follow through on these goals. For being a body builder, to having a net worth of about $200 million really isn’t something to complain about.
Let us take a step back from big name celebrities and work back down to normal people, like you and I, who became politicians. The Seattle Seahawks produced one of them. However, Steve Largent was picked up in the draft by the Houston Oilers in the fourth
round, even though he had been All-American at the University of Tulsa. After only four games, instead of being cut, Largent was traded to the Seahawks. Even though he was not agile, he was a great catcher, and made it to the Pro Bowl seven times. He was the
first person to earn the honor of being selected to the Bowl from the Seahawks team. When Largent retired in 1989, he held all the major receiving records of the NFL, including most receptions in a career with 819, most touchdown receptions with a solid 100,
and most receiving yards with a staggering 13,089.
Largent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, but had run for Oklahoma’s 1st District House of Representatives seat just one year earlier, in 1994, which he won. He served two terms in office, from November 29, 1994 to February
15, 2002. He ran for Governor in 2002, but lost to a Democrat, who supported, of all things, cockfighting. Aside from all of these accomplishments,
The Sporting News named Largent on the list of the 100 Greatest Football Players at number 46. He was the only Seahawk on the list. Besides being named the 46th greatest player,
People magazine chose Largent as one of “The Most Beautiful People” in 1996. Not bad for the kid who was picked almost last.
These are only three, rather successful, athletes who went on to become politicians. Starting from football players to bodybuilders, they went on to become prominent political figures, from Governor of California to the President of the United States. Who
would have thought? Other surprising players-to-politicians will be discussed in the coming articles.
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