Redskins QB Heath Shuler. Simon Bruty/SI

SI: Which current athlete would make a good politician?

Shuler: Peyton Manning. I really admire that young man.

SI: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has long said that the best job in America is NFL commissioner. How would she do in that position?

Shuler: You know what, I think the commissioner right now has done a great job. And what Paul Tagliabue did was incredible. That would be some big shoes to fill.

SI: That's a very diplomatic response, Congressman.

Shuler: [Laughs.]

SI: How would you compare the political press to the sports press?

Shuler: Even now I'd say the sports press is more difficult. Let's say your left tackle whiffs for two sacks in a game. We know that's not good, but how do you say that? You say 'He's horrible, he's terrible, he can't get the job done?' Well, you don't do that. You have to be able to say the right thing. It's political being the quarterback. We all make mistakes and we don't have our best game every single time. That's a more difficult question than asking what are we going to do about ethics issues. I still think some of the football questions can be more difficult because you are specifically at times having to talk about an individual.

SI: What role did your celebrity as a former football player play in terms of getting coverage during the campaign?

Shuler: Certainly name recognition helps in the world of politics. So many people have to raise extra money to have name identification. Growing up in the area, playing high school football, and playing relatively close at the University of Tennessee, the name recognition certainly helped out. I think it played a very big role. Probably more important were not stories about playing in athletics or wins and losses, but more of the personal interviews that I conducted over the years. So many people saw and read those. I think that helped more than anything.

SI: As a freshman congressman, you are a role player in a larger organization. As a quarterback, you were the leader on the field. How different a role is this for you in terms of your own pathology?

Shuler: If you look at players in sports that think of themselves as the team, you usually have problems and issues. If you are a part of a team and represent yourself as part of a team, you get far more accomplished and will be more successful. The way I look at it is I am a part of a team in my district and I am a part of the team in Washington. There's a lot of individuals here and just as you have in professional athletics, there are a lot of egos here. You just have to make sure you manage your time and make sure you do the right thing for your constituents and what is right for yourself.