Ex-NFL QB Cutler says he's running for school board in Tennessee's Williamson County

Former football players becoming politicians isn’t new.

Plenty of ex-football players have been elected to Congress or state legislatures, and former NFL running back Herschel Walker is working on a U.S. Senate run in Georgia.

But having a retired NFL player run for a local school board, such as former Bears and Vanderbilt University quarterback Jay Cutler tweeted Thursday he planned to do, is far less common.

Cutler tweeted a photo of the Williamson County school board website, saying, “Doing school board research. Looks like a 2024 campaign for me.”

Doing school board research. Looks like a 2024 campaign for me. pic.twitter.com/dNg7tmaZcp— Jay Cutler (@JayHasTweets) August 12, 2021

He then tweeted, “August of 2024. I need 100 signatures and a petition from the county. Going to start getting John Hancocks today.”

August of 2024. I need 100 signatures and a petition from the county. Going to start getting John Hancocks today.— Jay Cutler (@JayHasTweets) August 12, 2021

When asked about his platform, Cutler responded, “common sense.”

Williamson County, located south of Nashville, became a national topic of discussion this week after a heated school board meeting that included a vote to mandate masks for elementary schools to start the school year.

The meeting included plenty of yelling and public comment on each side of the issue, including Outkick the Coverage founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis speaking.

“Here’s the truth,” Travis said. “Our kids, under 25 years old, 1 in a million chance that they are going to die from COVID. They are more likely to be struck by lightning. They are more likely to die of the seasonal flu. Have any of you ever mandated masks for the seasonal flu? Well, shame on you, because every kid in Williamson County Schools are in more danger from the seasonal flu than they ever are from COVID.”

Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn responded on Twitter to a video posted by Travis of his comments.

“Thank you Clay and the dozens of Tennessee parents for standing up for common sense. No masks for kids!” she tweeted.

Travis retweeted Cutler’s statement on running for the school board, saying, “You’ve got my vote.”

Video outside the meeting after it finished showed groups of parents surrounding vehicles and chanting and law enforcement asking those standing outside to stay under control.

“We know who you are,” one bystander said to a man in a vehicle in video captured by Matt Masters of Williamson Home Page. “You can leave, but we will find you.”

President Joe Biden commented on the video during a news conference Thursday, saying the threats were aimed at doctors and nurses.

“Our health care workers are heroes,” Biden said. “They were the heroes before there was a vaccine. Many of them gave their lives trying to save others. And they’re heroes again with a vaccine. They are doing their best to care for the people refusing to get vaccinated.”