The University of Alabama elected its first black Student Government Association president in nearly four decades on Tuesday and some of his campaigning was done by the Alabama football team.
Elliot Spillers defeated his challenger, Stephen Keller, receiving 8,602 votes of the 14,931 votes cast. The turnout was the most since 2009, and Spillers is only the second ever black SGA president at Alabama since Cleo Thomas won in 1976.
Throughout Election Day, various football players campaigned for Spillers and ultimately celebrated his victory.
Running back Kenyan Drake and punter JK Scott endorsed him on a video posted to Spiller’s campaign Facebook page.
(More after the video)
Drake later tweeted his support for Spillers, as well as posts on Twitter and Instagram urging people to go vote.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper is preparing for Alabama’s Pro Day on Wednesday, but not before exercising his right to vote while he’s still a student.
Drake then tweeted his congratulations, referencing Spiller’s defeat of the candidate of the infamous Greek-controlled “Machine” that hadn’t lost an election since 1986.
Linebacker Reggie Ragland also congratulated Spillers on “making history.”
While quarterbacks David Cornwell and Blake Barnett supported Keller, Spillers had the more vocal support from the players active on social media.
Spillers did an excellent job of mobilizing the student body to rally around him, raising voter turnout and increasing student involvement in this year’s election process in general. And I’m sure an endorsement from JK Scott didn’t hurt either.
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