The NFL famously stands for Not For Long, when in reality, it means National Football League.
The average professional football career is less than two years, meaning most players have to figure out something to do when their time is up.
Wide receiver Blake Proehl decided he would pursue a career in singing.
The former Minnesota Viking recently auditioned for American Idol and got a golden ticket.
He’s not the first NFL player to go on one of these shows. Jon Dorenbos of the Philadelphia Eagles competed on America’s Got Talent back in the day.
So, what exactly is a golden ticket, and how did Blake achieve it?
Blake Proehl nails American Idol audition
After covering Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know,” Blake discovered he was going to Hollywood with a golden ticket.
While his family is full of football players, they’ve all supported Blake during this time as he chases his dreams.
Blake performed in front of Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan during his audition.
Singing a country song in front of someone like Luke Bryan takes a lot of courage and guts, but Blake proved he was up for the task.
Has Blake Proehl shown off his singing voice before?
Like most Millennials and Gen-Zers, Blake is active on social media. One of his favorite apps to use is TikTok.
Thanks to this app, he showcased his piano playing and singing abilities to a national audience.
One of his posts got more than 3 million likes from fans worldwide.
He currently has over 500,000 followers who listen as he performs covers of popular songs.
It wasn’t until he suffered a knee injury in 2021 that he dove back into his love for music.
For so long, Blake’s sole focus in life was football. Now that he’s retired, he can continue his passion for music.
What about Blake Proehl’s football career?
Blake grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, as his dad played for the Carolina Panthers.
He went on to play collegiately for the East Carolina Pirates. Blake had one year of eligibility left but chose to chase his NFL dreams.
Blake wouldn’t get drafted because of his knee injury, but he signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
He spent all of 2022 rehabbing and trying to return to the field. The team cut Blake before the start of the 2023 season.
He never played an official NFL game, even though he was on the roster for one year.
Regardless, Blake still stuck around with his NFL team for one year, which is more than most people in this world can say.
American Idol airs on Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.