Wayne Messam, who helped lead FSU football to a national title during his time in Tallahassee, is hoping to become the first Nole in the White House.
Over the years, several members of the FSU football world have made it into the world of politics – whether that means running for office, actually getting elected to whatever they have run for or just supporting the candidate of their party in a public fashion by using their celebrity to endorse said candidate.
The most recent person who wants to make the leap into that world is someone who already holds an office but aspires for something more – much, much more.
On Thursday, former FSU football wide receiver Wayne Messam – who was a member of the national championship team in 1993 and was an vital part of teams that went to the Orange Bowl in 1995 and played for another title in 1996, announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination for President in 2020.
Messam released a video announcing the move and later spoke first with WTVJ / NBC 6 in Miami, where the second term Mayor of Miramar – a suburb of Fort Lauderdale – talked about how the Seminoles as a team and the school as a whole shaped who he is.
(At this point, we’re not going to go into detail about Messam’s politics or positions mostly because we are not going to take sides one way for the other. Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, you’re entitled to your opinion – but also be respectful in your opinions and your comments to the story).
Messam has received support from former FSU football players and teammates and even the man he raves about, legendary former Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden – who spoke to the Tallahassee Democrat about the move.
"“That’s really exciting to hear,” Bowden said Thursday morning. “I remember he was a good leader for us. I know this, he has a lot of work ahead of him.”"
It will be interesting to see how far Bowden will go to support his former player considering the coach has been a major supporter of President Donald Trump and spoke at rallies across the state for him during the 2016 election cycle.
One thing that may be interesting if Messam is able to go from South Florida to Washington D.C. is this: if FSU football is able to win a title during his time in office, would they bring him a new jersey or just bring one of his old No. 89 uniforms?