Steve "Mongo" McMichael has worn a lot of hats: he's won a Super Bowl game as a defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears, served as an analyst for ESPN pregame shows, operates Mongo McMichael’s Restaurant and Sports Bar and is currently the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter indoor football team.
On Thursday, McMichael threw his hat into another ring, announcing his candidacy for mayor of suburban Romeoville.
"[Residents have] been mentioning to me that they're not happy, and they want me to run for mayor," he said on an ESPN radio show this week. "And by God, when I came to be a man, I put away childish things, I'm going to do it."
McMichael has lived in Romeoville since April, and says that customers in his neighborhood restaurant and sports bar have urged him to run against Mayor John Noak if he seeks reelection in April, WGN reports. McMichael says the village needs to improve its commercial prospects, and his experience as a small business owner in the area makes him uniquely qualified for the job.
Noak, who has been mayor since 2008, told the Chicago Tribune that "good things are happening" right now in Romeoville, but said that everyone has a right to seek elected office. He says he will make a decision about whether to seek re-election in the coming months.
When asked whether his lack of political experience would interfere with his ability to carry out mayoral duties, McMichael told the Associated Press he also didn't have experience at professional football or wrestling before he tried them, and had great success in those endeavors.