Donald Trump has recruited former NFL star and Georgia Bulldogs icon Todd Gurley to join him on the campaign trail as he ramps up his midterm push.
The former Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons running back traveled aboard Air Force One with Trump for his trip to Georgia on Friday.
Trump headed south to headline an afternoon campaign rally in Dalton, marking his third visit to the Peach State this year as both parties battle for momentum in the critical swing state.
Gurley’s high-profile appearance alongside the president brings serious local star power to the visit, with the 32-year-old remaining a revered sporting figure across the state.
The former All-Pro halfback starred in Athens for the Bulldogs between 2012 and 2014, piling up 3,285 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns before being selected 10th overall by the Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Gurley went on to earn NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2017 and led the league in rushing touchdowns twice before concluding his playing career with the Falcons in 2020.
Donald Trump has recruited former NFL star Todd Gurley to join him on the campaign trail
The former star traveled aboard Air Force One with Trump for his trip to Georgia on Friday
Gurley was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft
Gurley is not the first prominent Georgia football personality to align with Trump on the political stage during this cycle, with Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton previously attending a Trump campaign event in Rome in February.
Gurley also follows in the footsteps of another legendary Georgia running back, Herschel Walker, in throwing his weight behind Trump.
Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most celebrated figures in program history, received Trump’s full endorsement during his high-stakes bid for the US Senate in 2022.
Walker ultimately fell short in that contest, suffering a defeat in a heated runoff against Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Trump subsequently appointed Walker to serve as the US ambassador to the Bahamas.
Trump’s latest visit underscores Georgia’s continued status as one of the nation’s most fiercely contested political battlegrounds heading into the midterms.
