Wallace Gilberry, a former defensive end for the Crimson Tide and in the NFL for nine seasons, is among eight candidates who have qualified to run in the crowded Republican primary for Alabama’s newly drawn Second Congressional District.

While Gilberry could not immediately be reached for comment, Alabama Republican Party spokeswoman confirmed to AL.com that the Wallace Gilberry who qualified for the primary is in fact the former Alabama standout.

Alabama’s Second Congressional District previously covered southeast Alabama but now extends from the Georgia to the Mississippi line and includes all of Montgomery County and a northwest portion of Mobile County.

The newly drawn district has attracted candidates from across the state. In all, 21 candidates qualified to run for the seat, including 13 in the Democratic primary.

Undrafted out of college in 2008, Gilberry signed with the New York Giants for the beginning of a nine-year career in the NFL that included stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Cincinnati Bengals.

When AL.com last caught up with Gilberry, he was living in his childhood home in Bromley, in Baldwin County, in 2018.

He had a trucking company and a promotions outfit. The former Tide defense end also hosted an annual Easter egg hunt for local youngsters and was planning a flag-football league for Baldwin County children.