(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Deseret News reports Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has endorsed former Brigham Young University All-American and NFL defensive lineman Jason Buck’s candidacy for Congress in the state’s 2nd Congressional District Tuesday.

Shurtleff lionized Buck as a “no-nonsense” conservative who understands the need to balance the nation’s budget while restoring fiscal restraint.

Buck first announced his candidacy January 20 and is currently a part owner of the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League.

Buck played at BYU in the mid-1980s and was awarded the Outland Trophy in 1986, an honor given to the top interior lineman in Division I-A college football.

He then was drafted by the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals with the 17th overall selection in the 1987 NFL Collegiate Draft and had a seven-year NFL career, wining a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins following the 1992 season.

Buck has also had an impact in Sanpete County as he helped the Manti Templars win the 1999 2A state football championship, the first in school history.