Former NFL star Burgess Owens wins primary, now running as Republican candidate for Congress

Former New York Jets and Oakland Raiders star Burgess Owens wins primary to become Republican candidate for Congress in Utah.

Burgess Owens, a former NFL safety, is one step closer to Congress. The political novice convincingly won his primary and now advances to the general election.

Owens, a former first round pick in the NFL Draft, is running for Congress in Utah’s Fourth Congressional District. He won Tuesday’s Republican primary with 43.5 percent of the vote. Coming in second was Kim Coleman, a state representative who had 29.9 percent of the Republican vote.

In recent years he has become politically active, writing conservative books and appearing on national outlets as a pundit. His political leanings have earned support from a number of prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who has retweeted the Congressional hopeful several times of the past few months.

“I'm thankful to represent Utah's Fourth District,” Burgess said on Wednesday. “We believe in the American values that grants all a pathway to the remarkable middle class... ‘Education, Faith, Industry and Family.’ We have as our President who is a leader who loves America, who is fighting tooth and nail to preserve those values and our country... I'm look forward to being part of an incoming representative freshman in Congress of "Patriots"... not politicians, who will stand by his side.”

A former NFL player who was in the league for 10 years, Owens played for the New York Jets for seven seasons before signing with the Oakland Raiders where he won a Super Bowl and made the Pro Bowl. He has been a prominent businessman since his playing days as well as mentoring youth in Utah.

In the general election, Owens will square off against first-term Congressman Ben McAdams. It was McAdams who made headlines in March when he revealed that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19, making a full recovery and working from home the past three months.

McAdams is considered a moderate Democrat based off his voting record.

If Owens wins the seat, which was narrowly contested and leaned Republican till McAdams won in 2018, he will become the latest former athlete to find a new career in the rough and tumble world of Capitol Hill.

Notably, former NFL star Steve Largent (R) served eight years in Congress, representing Oklahoma. Heath Shuler (D), a former NFL quarterback, served three terms from North Carolina in the House of Representatives.

New York Knicks star forward Bill Bradley (D) served three terms in the Senate from New Jersey.

Currently, there are three former professional athletes in Congress: Ohio Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (R) and Texas Congressman Collin Alred (D) both played in the NFL. Sharice Davids (D), is a former MMA fighter from Kansas currently in Congress.