Jeff Erdmann has been impacting those around him by serving as the head football coach at Rosemount High School (Minn.) over the last 11 years.

Now, he’s looking to continue to shape his community by running for Congress.

Erdmann is seeking the Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party endorsement in 2018 for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, where Republican Jason Lewis currently serves.

While joining the political game is new for Erdmann, the American government is not.

Erdmann has been teaching American government at Rosemount for 27 years. His experience on the field and in the classroom has led Erdmann to believe that regardless of party or affiliation, we have more in common than we might realize.

"Whether we’re Democrat or Republican, there is more that unites us than divides us,” he told the Star Tribune.

Leo Hand, a recent guest on USA Football's Coach and Coordinator podcast, shares a similar outlook.

Hand, a 72-year-old retired football coach and English teacher, enjoyed a career that spanned three decades and included stops in California, Texas and New Mexico.

Despite having a Master’s degree in education, Hand says that the football field was the ultimate teacher.

“I learned more on a football field than I learned at church, than I learned at school, [or] than I learned at home,” he said.

And what lessons did the game teach? Many things, but chief among them: unity.

“[Football] taught me how to be a good human being, taught me how to cooperate, how to sacrifice for other people,” he said. “It taught me that my success was dependent on everyone else’s success.

“It taught me that we are all connected, that's one of the things we don’t understand in our society anymore. We are all connected and this is one of the games that teaches that.”

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When it comes to football, the game is more than teaching plays. It teaches life lessons to players, coaches and fans—lessons that can be used throughout life and in different situations.

It remains to be seen if Erdmann will win a seat on Congress. However, perhaps his message of unity, which manifests on football fields across the country, can help create bridges in our divided political landscape.