Former Penn State football player Brandon Short, who starred for the Nittany Lions in the late 90s and was an All-Big Ten first team and an All-American in 1999, announced that he will seek a spot on the Penn State Board of Trustees in this year’s election.

“I’m asking for the opportunity to fight for your interests and to fight for the future of our great university,” Short said in a statement. “I love Penn State. Penn State has changed the trajectory of my life. By joining the Penn State Family, I’ve grown from an inner-city kid from a tough background to a global financier who has helped structure and advise Corporate Boards across 5 continents.”

Short graduated in 1999 and played seven seasons in the NFL — playing five of those with the New York Giants. Following his football career, the Smeal alumnus earned his MBA from the Columbia Business School and became a Goldman Sachs banker before joining real estate private equity firm Round Hill Capital as its vice president.

“I’ve been blessed to have achieved a high-level of success in both sports and business and feel a responsibility to serve the community that has done so much for me,” Short said.

Short’s campaign will focus in on “many challenges,” including the rising cost of tuition and the state’s shrinking funding of the university. Elections generally take place in early May. Anthony Lubrano, Ryan McCombie, and Robert Tribeck are the three alumni-based election. seats that will be available this year. Alumni need 250 written nominations to be added to the ballot and the full ballot will be announced in April.