Ex-Ohio State coach Jim Tressel joins a long list of sports figures who’ve moved into politics

By Canadian Press on February 10, 2025.

College Football Hall of Fame coach Jim Tressel, who won the 2002 national title at Ohio State University, has been nominated to be the state’s next lieutenant governor, joining a long list of sports figures who’ve moved into politics.

Tressel, nicknamed “The Senator” during his coaching days for his stoic demeanor, was occasionally mentioned as a possible political candidate but has never held office. He did serve as president of Youngstown State University after his coaching career ended.

Here’s a look at other athletes and coaches who turned to politics.

Gerald Ford

The 38th U.S. president played football at the University of Michigan where he was a star center and linebacker. Ford later was elected to the U.S. House in Michigan before becoming vice president and then president, replacing Richard Nixon after his resignation.

Herschel Walker

The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Georgia ran unsuccessfully in his home state for a U.S. Senate seat in 2002. President Donald Trump now has tapped Walker to become ambassador to the Bahamas.

Steve Largent

The NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver played from 1976 to 1989 with the Seattle Seahawks before representing Oklahoma in the U.S. House for eight years.

Heath Shuler

A quarterback at the University of Tennessee where he was runner-up for the 1993 Heisman Trophy, Shuler was elected to the U.S House in North Carolina in 2006 and served three terms.

Tommy Tuberville

The former head football coach at Auburn University was elected by Alabama voters to his first term in the U.S. Senate in 2020.

Lynn Swann

The wide receiver who won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers lost a bid for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006.

Tom Osborne

He won three college football national championships as the coach at Nebraska before becoming a three-term congressman in the 2000s.

Steve Garvey

The former baseball MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers lost a 2024 bid for the U.S. Senate in California to Democrat Adam Schiff.

Bill Bradley

Bradley is a two-time NBA champion with the New York Knicks who’s in basketball’s hall of fame. He served in the U.S. Senate for nearly two decades and ran for president in 2020.

Kevin Johnson

A three-time NBA All-Star with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson was twice elected mayor of his hometown Sacramento, California.

Jack Kemp

The former quarterback with the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills had a long political career, serving in the U.S. House and as the nation’s housing secretary. Kemp also was Bob Dole’s running mate in the 1996 presidential election.

John Seewer, The Associated Press