3 Country Artists Who Played Football Before They Got Famous for Music

For some country artists, their talent goes far beyond musical abilities. Some country artists are also gifted athletes, as well. These three country artists all played football first before making a career switch to country music.

Videos by American Songwriter

Chase Rice

Rice was a linebacker for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rice, unfortunately, suffered an injury in 2007, which kept him from playing most of his junior year. He returned for his senior year, but his dreams of being a professional football player were dashed.

“[I] had an opportunity to pay my bills for the rest of my life just from an NFL football career,” Rice recalls to Sports Illustrated. With those hopes gone, Rice still didn’t immediately make the switch to country music. He first worked as a pit crew member for NASCAR, including working on Jimmie Johnson’s team.

Rice began releasing music on his own and also started writing songs for other artists, including Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise“. In 2013, he had his first hit as an artist, with “Ready, Set, Roll”.

Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt played football in high school, with hopes of playing in college. In his first two years at Middle Tennessee State University, he didn’t get a lot of time on the field. Undeterred, Hunt transferred to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was able to get more playing time.

Unfortunately, Hunt’s body took a beating while playing in college, requiring him to have two back surgeries. He was still invited to the training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs, but was let go after two months.

“I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I needed to find out if I could take it all the way,” he tells Al.com. While at college, he began performing music, so instead of returning to his native Georgia, Hunt relocated to Nashville. Like Rice, Hunt also began writing songs for other artists, including Kenny Chesney’s “Come Over” and Keith Urban’s “Cop Car”.

In 2014, Hunt released his debut single, “Leave The Night On”, which also became his first No. 1 hit.

Riley Green

Riley Green was a quarterback at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Green’s football dreams were short-lived, at least in college, since being a student wasn’t his favorite pastime. Green ultimately left college because he was enjoying playing music too much.

“I started playing in bars like, 2011, just quit going to class,” Riley says (via Whiskey Riff), adding that he “didn’t even come close” to being able to graduate. “I think I hung in there for another semester or two. My last semester, I passed aqua aerobics, the only thing I passed.”

Green began working in construction until his music career took off. His first single, “There Was This Girl”, came out in 2018.

Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images