The NFL dreams of former Navy football player Cameron Kinley may not be dead yet. Although the U.S. Navy has denied Kinley’s request for service deferment and thus his ability to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida has joined Kinley’s team to help him.

Rubio wrote a letter to President Joe Biden, and asked the Commander-In-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces to allow Kinley to pursue his NFL dreams.

“Mr. Kinley is not seeking to terminate his commitment to the Navy,” Rubio wrote in a letter obtained by TheHill.com. “Far from it. He wishes to promote service to our great nation from one of the country’s largest stages. I implore you to right this wrong.”

Bucs CB Cameron Kinley – Photo by: USA Today

Other U.S. Armed Forces football players have been granted deferral of service status in the past. In 2019, President Donald Trump allowed academy graduates the ability to play pro sports. Navy’s Malcolm Perry was allowed to join the Miami Dolphins after the 2020 draft. Apparently that policy has changed under the Biden administration.

“In years past, the U.S. Department of Defense has issued many waivers to allow athletes to temporarily delay their service to our nation to pursue their professional sports dreams,” Rubio wrote, via TheHill.com. “Unfortunately, Mr. Kinley seems to be the exception, and without reason.”

According to Military.com, acting Naval Secretary Thomas Harker told Congress on Tuesday that he, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday and General David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, reviewed Kinley’s deferment request so that he could play for the Buccaneers and denied it.

“I looked at this case. I looked at the significant investment the taxpayers make in every midshipman and our expectation and their expectation is that midshipmen will graduate and be commissioned with the Navy and the Marine Corps,” Harker said.

Kinley had taken part in the Buccaneers rookie mini-camp and began OTAs until his deferment request was denied.

“Well, obviously he’s very, very important to the Navy,” Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said. “That’s kind of a catch-22. I know he wants to attempt to be a professional football player, but he obviously means a ton to the Navy. I’ll leave that up to them. We’d love to have him because I thought he showed promise and signs when he was here.”