Jay Feely built a 14-year NFL career kicking for six different teams; he’d never run for anything before this year. But he is running for office this year and has come off the ground strong.

On Tuesday, Feely won the GOP primary for Arizona’s 1st District, beating former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik for the Republican nomination. With 99% of votes counted (per Politico), the former Arizona Cardinals kicker is leading the race with 49.8% of votes. The other competitor was John Trobough.

“Big win last night. 🇺🇸 Even bigger fight ahead,” Feely posted on Instagram. “Thank you, Arizona! Now, let’s get to work to WIN in November 💪🏼🌵”

“He believes that authenticity plays a very big role in this,” Chase Golightly of 12 News reported from Feely’s camp. “He said he’s not running for personal gain, for political gain, or money. He really, truly just wants to serve his constituents, and he really thinks that’s what put him over the edge here.”

However, Golightly also mentioned that Feely was the only candidate backed by the President, who the former kicker claims to have known for more than 20 years.

“Who can call [Trump] and who can get him to answer? That’s me,” Feely said during a debate. “He will take my call, and he will listen. I have the ability to have the ear of the president.”

The football world backed that campaign with money. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave $7,000, while the Bidwill family, which owns the Cardinals, pitched in $17,000. Falcons owner Arthur Blank gave $3,500. Bob Kraft (New England Patriots), Jimmy Haslam (Cleveland Browns), and others also donated. Former players got involved too, reflecting the relationships Feely built over more than a decade in the league.

Jay Feely’s career before politics

Feely played college football at Michigan and began his pro career in the AFL. The NFL came calling in 2001, when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. That stint earned him a spot on the 2001 PFWA All-Rookie Team. Feely successfully converted all extra points he attempted that year.

What followed was a well-traveled career that took him through six different locker rooms. Over his career spanning 14 seasons from 2001 to 2014, he played for the Falcons, Giants, Dolphins, Jets, Cardinals and Bears. No matter where he ended up, his numbers stayed consistent.

Feely retired with an overall record of 332 field goals and an accuracy of 82.6%. His longest went for 61 yards against the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 season, which set a franchise record. It came with only 1:03 left on the clock, tying the game at 16-all. However, Feely missed his very next attempt, and the Bills won the game.

“You don’t think there is any way a guy is going to make a 61-yarder,” then-Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said, “and then you think for sure he is going to make the short one and he doesn’t.

Retirement did not keep Feely away from football for too long. In 2015, he became a color analyst for college football on CBS Sports Network, and in 2017, he became a color analyst for the NFL on CBS, where he worked with Beth Mowins.

Feely eventually set his broadcasting career aside for something he saw as more urgent.

“When I chose to walk away from my NFL broadcasting career, keeping the Republican majority was the primary focus,” he said in a statement on X. “We must maintain a GOP majority to ensure lower costs for Arizona’s families, safety in our neighborhoods, and the preservation of the American Dream.”