Jack Kemp, football player and great American died of cancer at 73, yesterday at his home in Betesda, MD.
On November 3, 2008, just 6 months ago, Jack Kemp and Pat Summerall made a stop at our campaign office in Altamonte Springs, FL. Kemp talked about the election as well as his own career in football and politics.
This was just one stop on their political tour of Florida stumping for McCain. Kemp had two passions in life football and politics.
Kemp led Buffalo to three straight Eastern Division titles and two straight AFL Championships. He led the league in career passes attempted, completions, and yards gained passing. He was the only AFL quarterback to be listed as a starter all 10 years of the league’s existence and one of only 20 players to serve all 10 of those years. His number 15 was retired by the Bills in 1984.
His political career started early. In January 1964, Kemp co-founded the AFL Players Association with Tom Addison of the Boston Patriots, and was elected its president five times.
That same year, he was a volunteer on Barry Goldwater’s unsuccessful presidential campaign. In 1966, he became one of the first Reaganites. And in 1969 he was named Special Assistant to the RNC Chairman, Rogers Clark Ballard Morton.
Jack Kemp went on to serve in House of Representatives from 1971-1989. In 1988, he ran for President against George Bush (41) and lost. In 1989, he was tapped by Bush to be HUD Secretary. In 1993, he began his speaking tour and founded the group Empower America, which later became Freedom Works.
There was much anticipation that he would run again for president in 1996, but he was seen as out of touch with the contemporary Republican Party. That same year, he was tapped by Bob Dole to be his VP Running Mate. A political mismatch, Dole’s campaign was unsuccessful.
In 2003, he returned to football, as Chairman of USA Football, a national advocacy group for amateur football created by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
In 2008, Kemp endorsed McCain shortly before the New Hampshire Primary. He campaigned for McCain, but McCain was unsuccessful. In January, 2009 he was diagnosed with cancer. His battle with cancer was unsuccessful. He died May 2, 2009 at age 73.
During his 73 years here on earth, his passion for football and politics never waned. He was truly, A Great American.
