Corey Holmes finished his final Roughriders season in 2007 as the CFL's second-ranked kickoff returner. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)

Corey Holmes, a former star running back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has run onto a new field — politics — and won.

Holmes, 32, was elected mayor of Metcalfe, Miss., on Tuesday. And, consistent with his reputation on the football field for making great plays under difficult conditions, Holmes's election was a hard-fought campaign.

He won the election for the town of 1,000 by a margin of 80 votes, defeating an opponent who had been in office for 16 years.

"It was real tough," Holmes told CBC News in an interview Thursday. "But the game of football has got me ready for a lot of things."

Holmes played most of his professional football with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is the team's all-time leader in kickoff return yards and punt return yards.

He was on the roster from 2001 to 2005 and briefly popped up in a Hamilton Tiger-Cats uniform before returning to the 'Riders midway through the CFL's 2007 season.

When he was released from the team, Holmes returned home to Metcalfe to coach high school football.

"If you really look at it, coaching and politics are the same because you're in a leadership position and you're over people," Holmes said. "You're making an impact on people's lives."

'I always had a heart for people.'—Corey Holmes, new mayor of Metcalfe, Miss.

He said he hopes to improve the job situation in Metcalfe and build a recreation centre for the town.

"There's a lot of youth here in this area. And we didn't have anything for the youth to do. You know: no community centre, no recreational stuff," Holmes said. "We want to try and revive this community."

Political calling from God

Holmes attributed his interest in politics to a sort of calling, rooted in his faith.

"God was calling me to do something," Holmes said about making a play for politics. "I couldn't believe He wanted me to get into that."

Holmes said he misses the team spirit from his days as a professional athlete but holds many fond memories of his playing days in Regina.

"I miss being around the guys in the locker room and having an impact on their lives," Holmes said. He added he would like, some day, to return to Regina to watch the team play.

For now, however, he is focused on his duties in Metcalfe.

"Politics is something serious," Holmes said. "You have to be able to relate and treat people right. And I always had a heart for people.

"And I want to make sure that everybody is treated fairly. I just make myself available for the task and then people got out and voted. I just thank them for voting me in."

Metcalfe is about 190 kilometres northwest of the state capital, Jackson, and not much more than a few football punt-returns from the Mississippi River.