Former Texas, NFL football player Alex Okafor elected to Pflugerville school board

Former Texas football player Alex Okafor, a Pflugerville High School graduate, officially earned his spot on the Pflugerville school board Saturday.

Okafor ran unopposed for the Place 1 seat and will serve a three-year term. He received 2,774 votes based on unofficial Travis County results. The results won’t become official until canvassed.

In February, Okafor stated on his social media platforms that serving in public office seemed a natural progression for a player heavily involved in working with his communities in a nine-year NFL career that included stops in Arizona, New Orleans and Kansas City.

“This has been sitting on my heart for a while now,” Okafor posted on X. “Finally pulled the trigger and submitted my name on the ballot. I’ve spent the last decade building opportunities for students and advocating for my community. I’m ready to take the next step and lead from a place in office.”

Okafor, 33, starred as a defensive end at Pflugerville from 2006-09 when he earned multiple all-state selections and All-American honors from USA Today as a senior following the 2008 season. He helped the Panthers reach the Class 5A Division II state championship game in 2007.

During his four-year career at Texas from 2009-12, Okafor earned multiple All-Big 12 awards as a defensive end as well as multiple academic all-conference honors. Arizona selected Okafor in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.

Okafor ended his NFL career with 215 total tackles and 31½ sacks.