Brock Olivo, the football star who didn’t make it this week in the congressional big leagues (Tuesday’s GOP primary for the 9th District nomination) just e-mailed his public thanks.

Here’s his parting post-primary thoughts:

To the Editor,

I would like to thank all the citizens of the 9th Congressional District for their hospitality and graciousness. Despite not receiving a majority of the vote, this endeavor has been educational, energizing, and very rewarding. It is truly an honor to participate in the American political process.

I want to especially thank those who contributed votes, time and money to my campaign. I must recognize and thank my family, my staff and my volunteers for their hard work and long hours. It was great to again lead a team dedicated to achieving a common goal. We consistently worked together to create something we can all be proud of.

When signing autographs for fans I often write the sentiment “DREAM BIG” next to my name. This has been a guiding principal in my life as I moved from high school to college to NFL gridiron success and in my professional career.

Of course, it is true that dreaming alone accomplishes nothing if hard work is not applied. Serving my fellow Missourians through public office is a dream of mine that it is an attainable goal and one I am willing to fight for again in the future.

My best wishes go out to the candidates in the November election. I urge them to run positive campaigns based on the issues, no matter how tempting it is to turn negative. This is the only way we will be able to move forward together as one nation.

Brock Olivo