President Donald Trump is turning to Texas football icons to bolster Republican support in a midterm cycle where the party finds itself on the defensive in the Lone Star State. On Tuesday, the president will headline campaign stops in Lubbock and Corpus Christi, joined by a trio of former gridiron stars with deep local roots: former University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, and former Texas Tech wide receiver Danny Amendola.
The strategic recruitment of these sports figures comes as the president intensifies his focus on Texas, a state where he has campaigned more than any other during this election cycle. The effort is aimed at stabilizing a statewide Senate race that has grown unexpectedly competitive. Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, is facing a strong challenge from Democratic candidate James Talarico, a state legislator who has taken the lead in several recent polls.
Paxton’s path to the general election was already a subject of national attention after he successfully ousted incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the May primary with the president’s endorsement. However, a combination of local scandals and the president’s own fluctuating approval ratings has left Republicans at risk of losing a statewide Senate seat for the first time in three decades. By bringing out figures like McCoy, Manziel, and Amendola, the campaign appears to be leveraging the cultural weight of the state’s most prominent football programs—Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech—to mobilize a base that traditionally favors the GOP.
Colt McCoy, a central figure in this week’s appearances, remains one of the most beloved athletes in Texas history after leading the Longhorns to the 2010 national championship game. While McCoy is primarily associated with his college success, his 12-year NFL career included a brief and unusual chapter with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2013, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh traded with the Cleveland Browns to acquire McCoy as a backup for Colin Kaepernick, following the team’s decision to move Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs.
McCoy’s actual playing time in San Francisco was minimal, appearing in just four games during the 2013 season. His statistical contribution to the team consisted of a single completed pass for 13 yards, with most of his snaps occurring in the closing minutes of blowout games. After that lone season, he signed with Washington as a free agent and spent the next decade moving between various NFL rosters.
Despite his limited role as a 49er, McCoy later became a significant obstacle for the team while playing for the Arizona Cardinals in the early 2020s. In 2021, filling in for an injured Kyler Murray, McCoy orchestrated a 31-17 upset at Levi’s Stadium, completing 22 of 26 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. He faced the 49ers again in 2022 during a matchup in Mexico City, though that outing proved less successful; the 49ers secured a 38-10 victory, and McCoy was benched in the fourth quarter after throwing an interception and enduring three sacks.
Joining McCoy on the trail are two other athletes who represent critical regions of the Texas electorate. Johnny Manziel, the former Texas A&M standout, brings the star power of a Heisman winner to the events, while Danny Amendola represents the local pride of the Lubbock area where he starred for Texas Tech before a successful NFL career that included multiple Super Bowl titles.
McCoy officially retired from professional football in 2024. After a one-year stint in the broadcast booth with NBC, he has transitioned into the business world. He currently manages a commercial real estate office in Fort Worth, a role that keeps him firmly planted in the Texas community as he re-enters the political arena for this week’s high-stakes campaign stops.
