Playing on the Hill These seven esteemed jocks have all shown serious game in the halls of Congress

TOM OSBORNE
Iconic Nebraska football coach (25 years, three national titles)
did not use Cornhuskers Red references in campaign materials in
winning his congressional bid.

JIM RYUN
Run with Ryun is the reelection slogan for the three-time Olympic
track star and former mile and 1,500-meter world-record holder
turned Kansas congressman.

BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL
Party-switching Colorado senator (once a Democrat) needed his
martial arts skills--he captained the 1964 Olympic judo team--in
1991 to fend off a mugger in D.C.

JACK KEMP
Longtime Buffalo Bills QB, a former congressman and secretary of
Housing and Urban Development, is codirector of nonprofit Empower
America.

JIM BUNNING
During his Hall of Fame pitching career, the Kentucky senator was
part of the player group that hired Marvin Miller to head the
baseball players' association.

STEVE LARGENT
Hall of Fame receiver nearly ran against ex-NFL wideout Howard
Twilley in '94 Oklahoma race. (Twilley dropped out.) Now runs
wireless-industry lobbying group.

BILL BRADLEY
Michael Jordan's endorsement couldn't help the three-term U.S.
senator (N.J.) and ex-Knicks star win the 2000 Democratic
presidential nomination.

B/W PHOTO: JERRY CABLUCK

B/W PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.

B/W PHOTO: JOHN BIEVER

B/W PHOTO: TIME INC. PICTURE COLLECTION

B/W PHOTO: BETTMANN/CORBIS

B/W PHOTO: SENATOR CAMPBELL'S OFFICE/AP

B/W PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.

COLOR PHOTOMONTAGE: PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL O'NEIL; COMPOSED BY SI IMAGING.