Jalen Travis of the Indianapolis Colts hasn't let known what his political views are, and he might never need to. He is a football player, of course, and how well he protects his quarterback against a pass rush matters. But Travis has a life outside of the sport, just as everyone does outside of their day job.
Recently, in the days leading up to the Fourth of July, the Barack Obama Presidential Center opened on the South Side of Chicago, and Travis made a trip to visit the new venue. According to a social media post, Travis found the Center "awe-inspiring."
The post read, in part, "Walking through the legacy of 44 at the Obama Presidential Center was nothing short of awe-inspiring!" and showed a picture of the player next to a wall that read, "Empowering Young Leaders."
Indianapolis Colts right tackle Jalen Travis visits the Obama Presidential Center
Politics can be divisive, of course, and this article isn't about which side to vote for, of course. Still, some of the responses in reaction to the post were about what one might expect in the cesspool that is the social media culture. Many were aimed at Obama, and some at Travis.
The shame is that one cannot simply admire a young man who has interests elsewhere. Like is more important than football, of course.
That said, many Indianapolis Colts fans are interested in Jalen Travis because he can hopefully be a long-term starter on the right side of the offensive line in Indy. He is replacing Braden Smith, who was the previous longtime starter at right tackle. Travis filled in some as a rookie last year when Smith was temporarily injured, and the first-year player was quite good.
Good enough, in fact, to make the team feel comfortable in not re-signing Smith in free agency. Instead, he signed with the Colts' AFC South rival, the Houston Texans, so that Indianapolis will have to play him twice a season. (The "at least" part is key because a third time would be in the postseason, so let's hope Indy makes it there.)
As for Travis's political aspirations, he might eventually have them. Maybe Barack Obama was an inspiration for him, but the right tackle has also already put in some work in political circles. After graduating from high school, he initially chose to attend Princeton before transferring to Iowa State. In college, he was a congressional intern for Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.
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