Former NFL player warns Gen Z about the uncomfortable truth

With 14 seasons in the NFL, former kicker Jay Feely knows a little something about how to come through in the clutch.

Now, he’s asking young Americans to do the same thing in order to save the country.

‘Prosperity cannot be created by government spending.’

Feely explained at the Republican Midterm Convention on Wednesday night that his bold turn to politics was a result of President Donald Trump’s courage on the day he was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Feely, the Republican candidate for the 1st Congressional District of Arizona, referenced the president having blood on his hand and ear as he stood up and “told this nation to fight.”

Feely told audience members at the convention that Trump’s actions forced him and his wife to think about what they could do for their country, eventually leading him to leave his “dream job” in football broadcasting and make a congressional run.

From there, the University of Michigan grad spoke about what he believes the next generation is up against: a Democratic Party leaning further to the left, looking to socialize the healthcare system and eliminate property rights.

The 50-year-old offered only blunt honesty in his remarks, saying the simple way to keep America prosperous is through hard work.

“History has proven prosperity cannot be created by government spending or political promises or an expanding bureaucracy,” Feely stated. “We need to be equally clear about where we stand. The answer is to restore the conditions that allow Americans to create prosperity.”

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Photo by Cassidy Araiza/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“We believe in freedom, opportunity, capitalism, and free markets,” the kicker went on. “Freedom doesn’t defend itself. Opportunity doesn’t defend itself.”

Feely is running against Democrat Amish Shah, born in Illinois to Indian immigrants.

The two candidates are sparring over the open Arizona seat left by Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who threw his hat in the ring for governor but lost the primary to Republican Rep. Andy Biggs in July.

Feely was joined on stage by Captain Mike Bouchard, the Republican candidate for the 10th Congressional District of Michigan.

Bouchard’s story is a wild one in that he was deployed in Iraq to fight ISIS in 2025 and has a decade of service in the military.

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Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Both candidates argued that the next generation needs common-sense solutions that eliminate regulations, lower taxes, and create conditions that allow young people to purchase a home.

“We cannot tax our way to prosperity,” Feely reiterated, telling Gen Z that the work is not yet done.

Feely emphasized that young adults are not inheriting a “finished America.” Rather they are inheriting an opportunity to build the next company or create an invention and push the country toward greatness in the decades to come.

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