April 23 (UPI) — Former New York Giants kicker Jay Feely said Tuesday he is running in a GOP Arizona congressional primary. He has no political experience, but the Trump follower said God called him to run in the solidly Republican district.
Feely will run in the 5th Congressional District of Arizona for a seat held now by Andy Biggs. Biggs has announced he will run for governor in 2026.
Feely told ESPN, “I think that I feel God’s calling pressing me into service, and that’s really what I believe it is, is the civil service.”
A statement posted on his campaign website said, “Former NFL kicker Jay Feely is trading in the gridiron for the halls of Congress. A proud conservative and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, Feely is running in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District to fight for border security, protect our freedoms, and put America First.”
Feely has not demonstrated any deep knowledge of issues Congress faces, but he said he’s running in part on the Trump vision for America.
“The contrast between the two parties has never been sharper,” Feely said. “The vision for America, what we value, what we teach our children, how we define freedom, faith and responsibility — it couldn’t be more different.”
He said Trump getting shot inspired him to run.
In 2018, Feely apologized for a social media post of himself holding a gun and smiling as he stood between his daughter and her prom date.
Feeley practiced professional football with the New York Giants and also was a kicker for five other teams between 2001-14. After that, he joined CBS Sports as a football analyst.
