Ex-NFL players Gonzalez, Allred elected to Congress

Former NFL players Anthony Gonzalez and Colin Allred won seats in the House of Representatives. Gonzalez, who was a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, earned a seat to represent the 16th Congressional district of Ohio. The Republican candidate won more than 56 percent of the vote to defeat his Democratic challenger Susan Moran Palmer. A former Ohio State standout, Gonzalez recorded 99 receptions for 1,307 yards and seven touchdowns in 40 career games since being selected by the Colts with the 32nd overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. His playing career was slowed by knee injuries before retiring from the NFL prior to the 2012 season. Gonzalez graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business after his retirement from the league. Allred, who is a former Tennessee Titans linebacker, won more than 52 percent of the vote to defeat 11-term incumbent Republican Pete Sessions in the 32nd Congressional district of Texas. Allred went undrafted out of Baylor in 2006 to collect 46 tackles in 32 career games with the Titans from 2007-10. Former NFL linebacker Napoleon Harris, a Democrat, won a seat in the Illinois State Senate running unopposed. Ex-Washington Redskins tight end Clint Didier, a Republican, won the Franklin County (Wash.) Commissioner's race. Former Green Bay Packers and New York Giants safety Aaron Rouse earned a seat on the Virginia Beach city council.