The Fan Teaser

**^{As Election Day nears here in the U.S.,}**
**^{we wondered if you could deduce who this}**
**^{future Congressman clad in white might be?}**

Tuesday is Election Day in the United States.

It seemed an apt time to mix sports and politics again. This week’s solution to the #FanTeaser is none other than J.C. Watts, the 2-time Orange Bowl MVP and 4-term Republican U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. Oh yeah, he also was the Offence MVP of the 1981 CFL Grey Cup.

A native of Eufaula, OK, Watts earned a football scholarship as a quarterback to the University of Oklahoma where he played from 1976-80. After redshirting as a freshman, Watts saw played in all 11 games his third year in the program and then was the starter for his fourth and fifth season, leading the Sooners to Orange Bowl victories following each season. OU finished third in the Associated Press Top 25 each year. The photo used for this week’s #FanTeaser was from the 1981 Orange Bowl.

^{Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback, J.C. Watts, rolls out away from a Florida State defender during the 1981 Orange Bowl Game. Watts led the Sooners to a fourth-quarter come-from-behind win, 18-17, and was named the game’s MVP for the second consecutive year. (Orange Bowl Photo)}

Watts was named the Orange Bowl MVP each year and later in 1981 debuted with the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Rough Riders. Despite posting only a 5-win season, the Rough Riders advanced to the championship game against the 14-win Edmonton Eskimoes. Watts helped keep Ottawa in the game – eventually won 26-23 by Edmonton – and, for those efforts, was named the 69th Grey Cup‘s Offence MVP.

Following his CFL career, Watts returned to Oklahoma where he serve as a minister. In 1990 he was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. In 1994 he was successfully elected to Congress as a Representative where he served through 2003. Along the way, he served as a Chair of the House Republican Conference.

Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning, with the reveal coming to you on Sunday.