These days it seems like the common theme for the American athlete: Play 10 years of pro sports, retire to the mansion for a few years, then head to D.C. to duel it out with your rival political party.

Athletes are everywhere in American government. Nearly every professional sport has at least one former athlete with a prominent political position. The National Football League has U.S. Representatives Steve Largent and JC Watts; Major League Baseball has senator Jim Bunning; and the National Basketball Association has former senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley.

Sure they use their athletic prowess as an aid, but they push forth their interests just the same as the rest of the politicians, and as the most publicly scrutinized and critiqued figures in America, besides the President, they are a perfect fit for government positions.

In the case of these former athletes turned politicians, the legacy of a successful professional athletic career is used to spawn a successful political campaign. It’s easy to conceive that a successful athlete can ride to political success based on his/her athletic reputation, but can political success be found for an unproven quarterback on the most unsuccessful major sports team at a University?

Crosby Wehr believes so. Wehr, a quarterback on the football team and a candidate for ASI Director of Business, is hoping that his standing as an athlete can help lead him to success in the upcoming ASI election.

Wehr lacks a major athletic identity on campus, but he thinks being an athlete at Sac State will only help his campaign.

“I think a small percentage of students at Sac State vote,” Wehr explained. “As an athlete I can get other athletes to vote, and gain an advantage in the election.”

Wehr said that he wasn’t inspired by future political dreams or by any politically charged professional athletes, he simply wants to give Sac State athletes a more prominent voice in the ASI circle.”I can’t even name any athletes in politics off-hand,” Wehr said. “Arnold Schwarzenegger, and that’s only if you consider bodybuilding a sport.”

While Wehr is focused on the upcoming election, he is still looking ahead to next football season.

“For me, a successful football season is more important,” he explained. “Success on the field would establish some stature and that would be beneficial to us (the football team) and our school.”

If all works out in Wehr’s favor, he will be directing business at Sac State on and off the field.

Josh Oates can be reached at [email protected]