Country music is becoming increasingly popular, not just in the United States, but also worldwide, with modern stars such as Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen all enjoying massive success.
Although the creative outputs of these modern country stars are all very different from one another, one notable similarity between them is their passion for sports. Here is a look at the teams they adore and how their passion has shaped their careers so far.
Jelly Roll an Avid Tennessee Titans Fan
Nashville-born singer Jelly Roll describes himself as a “die-hard” Tennessee Titans fan. He has followed the NFL franchise ever since they moved to Tennessee in the 1990s. The CMA winner is a regular at the Nissan Stadium through the NFL season.
The Titans invited Jelly Roll to give the team a speech ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, which he described as a huge honour. Tennessee are 33/1 to win the AFC South title this season and Jelly Roll will be hoping they can secure that crown and reach the play-offs. Those looking to back Jelly Roll’s team have a range of promotions to choose from, which could see them snap up free bets up to $150 with DraftKings and FanDuel.
But that’s not Jelly Roll’s only professional association with the sport. Back in 2024 he played an event in Detroit before the NFL Draft, and more recently was a guest of Lainey Wilson’s during her Thanksgiving half-time show at the AT&T Stadium for the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game.
The American football fan signed a deal with ESPN earlier this year for his hit “Get By” to be used as the theme song for their college football coverage.
Chris Stapleton Was on the Verge of Playing Professional Football
Singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton has become one of the biggest country singers in the world. This was not always his plan, however. The Kentucky artist played college football for the University of Michigan as a punter, but a foot injury ruined his chances of going professional.
Stapleton played the national anthem at the Super Bowl earlier this year. It was a powerful performance from the country star, with players from both teams (Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers) in tears on the sidelines.
Like Jelly Roll, Stapleton has also been snapped up by ESPN for their Monday Night Football theme song, in which he sings a rendition of “In The Air Tonight” along with Snoop Dogg.
Morgan Wallen Often Reps Tennessee Volunteers
It has been a phenomenal two years for Morgan Wallen since the release of his album “One Thing At A Time”. He has been selling out stadiums in the USA and Europe, while many of his hits have had a lot of success on the Billboard charts.
Wallen is a big Tennessee Volunteers fan, and he often wears one of their iconic orange caps at his gigs. The college team get a mention in several of his biggest songs, including “The Way I Talk”.
Outside of American football, Wallen is also a keen baseball fan. His song “98 Braves” is about Atlanta Braves, who won 106 matches in the 1998 MLB season, but who did not go on to land the World Series.
Knowing all this, it will surely be an uncontroversial treat for many sports fans to see the three aforementioned music stars performing at major sporting events in 2025 and beyond.
