If anyone could be called a “hero” or “legend” in the Peach State, it is Walker. In a state where college football is considered the sport of kings, Walker starred with the University of Georgia’s Bulldogs, won the coveted Heisman Trophy in 1982 and was All-American three times.

Walker went on to play professional football and had stints with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants.

At 58, he has long signaled he is a conservative Republican and recently testified before Congress against proposed reparations for slavery to American blacks.

If the athlete has any problem with a Senate bid, it is that he lives out of state. But supporters say, given his heroic status, Walker would be accepted if he simply bought a house and moved back.