NFL running back Arian Foster is dipping his toe into the political pool.
The Tennessee phenom announced he would back Texas Senate hopeful Beto O’Rourke in the state’s upcoming election. (RELATED: CBS NEWS CHANGES BETO O’ROURKE NFL PLAYER PROTEST HEADLINE AFTER BACKLASH)
“He’s extremely to-the-point. He answers your questions, and it’s substantive,” Foster, a Texas resident and former Texans teammate, told TMZ in an interview. “He’s for criminal justice reform. He’s for accountability for police officers … even deeper than that, some of the things he wants to do with education, he wants to fund inner city schools.”
O’Rourke, a Democrat challenging current senator Ted Cruz’s seat, grabbed national attention last week after he went viral for defending NFL anthem protests. (RELATED: TRUMP JR. TELLS BETO O’ROURKE THAT ANTHEM KNEELING ‘WON’T FLY’ IN TEXAS, OFFERS ALTERNATIVE)
“I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights, anytime, anywhere, any place,” he told a crowd in Texas.
Other athletes, including LeBron James and Reggie Bush, have thrown support behind O’Rourke, while Donald Trump Jr. attacked him on Twitter and suggested the Texan move to New York where anthem protests may be less divisive.