Chris Thieneman Christopher Allen Thieneman ( born June 6 , 1965 ) is a former American college football player who was a defensive lineman in the World League of American Football ( WLAF ) and the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) during the early 1990s . He played for the San Antonio Riders of the WLAF , and the Sacramento Gold Miners of the CFL . Thieneman played collegiately at the University of Louisville , where he was an honorable mention All - America n . Early years . Thieneman was born and raised in Louisville , Kentucky . He attended Bishop David High School where he lettered three years in football as a defensive end . During his senior year , he earned All - County , All - District and All - State honors . Following graduation , Thieneman enrolled at the University of Louisville after being recruited to play college football for the Cardinals by coach Bob Weber . He played his first two seasons as a backup linebacker before being redshirted in 1985 due to a shoulder injury . Under coach Howard Schnellenberger , Thieneman returned to the football field in 1986 , making the switch to the defensive tackle position . As a junior , he recorded 53 tackles ( 40 solo ) and earned honorable mention All - America honors by the Associated Press , which also named him to the All - South Independent team . He graduated with a bachelor ' s degree in business management . Professional career . In 1988 , Thieneman signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive end , but did not appear in a single regular season game and was released from the offseason practice squad . He played professional football in Canada for four years , ending his career in the Canadian Football League with the Sacramento Gold Miners . Political career . After football , Thieneman began working in the family real estate business and obtained a real estate license . Thieneman took over operation of the family business and established his own development company . His developments include trailer parks , family - based subdivisions , low - income apartments and office complexes in the Greater Louisville Metro area . Thieneman is one of the largest owners of vacant property on Dixie Highway . Thieneman ran in the Republican primary for Congress in Kentucky ' s 3rd congressional district in 2008 . In May 2010 , Thieneman ran for Mayor of Louisville in the Republican primary but lost to Hal Heiner . Heiner would eventually lose narrowly to current Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer . In Spring of 2012 , Thieneman filed to run for 37th district ' s state senate seat , narrowly defeating former Metro Councilman Doug Hawkins in the Republican primary in May . Thieneman lost by a wide margin in the general election to incumbent Democrat State Senator Perry Clark . Despite numerous attempts , Thieneman has never won election to any public office . Political Scandals . In 2010 , during his campaign for Louisville mayor , Thieneman participated in an interview with the Courier Journal editorial board to seek the newspaper ' s endorsement . In the interview , Thieneman admitted to bribing a county official in order to get approval for a trailer park from the local planning commission despite heavy opposition from nearby residents . The request was granted by the planning commission , and a trailer park was built along a narrow piece of land in the middle of a middle class neighborhood . In the fall of 2012 , it was alleged by a local blog that Thieneman did not reside in the district in which he filed to represent . Thieneman has repeatedly denied that he lives outside the district , but depositions by citizens , photographic evidence and voting records suggest Thieneman has multiple residences in Jefferson County , Ky . The residence in question is the location of a Thieneman - owned commercial business - a self - storage locker business . In October 2012 , a lawsuit was filed by district resident Robert Walker that challenged Thieneman ' s residency . The suit alleged Thieneman did not live in the 37th district and therefore was not a legal candidate . Judge Charles Cunningham ordered on November 2 , 2012 , that Thieneman produce utility bills from his supposed residence at the storage business as well as a home Thieneman owns on Brownsboro Road . The utility bills were supposed to have proven exactly where Thieneman was living , but the judge ' s order was never fulfilled by Thieneman and the case was passed . Personal life . Thieneman is one of the original founders of the Mint Jubilee , a Kentucky Derby - themed charity event that raises money for The James Brown Cancer Center in Louisville . The event has been mired in controversy and was alleged to have misappropriated funds originally meant for the charity .