Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, who is also the current vice president, has finally announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate after weeks of speculation. The other contenders included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, but finally, Harris took the decision in favor of Walz.
Governor Walz’s journey to this moment all started on the football field. Born in West Point, Nebraska, he graduated from Butte High School in 1982, where he played football. After serving his time in the Army National Guard, Walz went to Chadron State College, where he graduated with a degree in social science in 1989. He traveled abroad for a year before coming back to the U.S. to teach at Alliance High School in Nebraska, where his coaching career took off.
Starting out as an assistant head coach to both basketball and football, Walz focused on the defense in football. He was at Minnesota Vikings training camp this past summer with Paul Allen, reminiscing over the defensive schemes he used to coach with that are now considered so old school. He talked about just how much high school football has changed since his coaching days.
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After his stint in Nebraska, Walz moved to Minnesota, where he was a teacher and coach at Mankato West High School. As a defensive coordinator, he coached Mankato West into winning a state championship. Although he eventually entered a career in politics, becoming first elected in 2006 to represent Minnesota’s first congressional district, the values learned playing football continued to be important for him in his life.
Walz proved to be the cornerstone of turning around Mankato West, a team that lost 27 straight games in three years, into state champions. He always talked about the preparation, hard work, and planning which gets won way before game day comes.
To a room full of high school coaches in 2019, Walz talked about how the game of football shaped him and his players, teaching life skills, treating them like adults, and being a model of accountability.
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Most recently, Walz took to the sidelines at the Vikings’ training camp for the 2024 season. As the campaign carries on, that football background might give him a one-of-a-kind edge. Whether Walz makes it to the White House is in the wind, but one thing is certain: his experience and dedication are second to none.