Many of today’s country music stars once dreamed of making it in sports before finding their true calling in music.
From high school standouts to college athletes, these performers traded in their cleats for cowboy boots and fields for stages. While we’re grateful for their music, it’s also worth celebrating their impressive athletic achievements!
Here are 15 country music stars who first shined as athletes.
1. Toby Keith
Toby Keith played defensive end on his football team at Moore High School. Keith played for a short time with a semi-pro team called the Oklahoma City Drillers, which was linked to the Oklahoma Outlaws in the USFL league. When Keith didn’t make it onto the Outlaws team, he decided to focus completely on his music career.
2. Garth Brooks
In the early 1980s, Garth Brooks played multiple high school sports, including football, baseball, and track and field. During his senior year, he was the quarterback for Yukon High School in Oklahoma. From 1980 to 1984, Garth Brooks attended Oklahoma State University on a track scholarship, where he competed in javelin throwing. His personal best throw was an impressive 211 feet. After becoming a big country star, Brooks was invited as a special guest to spring training with multiple MLB teams, including the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets, and the Kansas City Royals.
3. Brett Young
Brett Young was a talented baseball pitcher in high school. His skills attracted offers from MLB teams, including the Minnesota Twins. Young chose college baseball instead, playing for Ole Miss, Irvine Valley, and finally, Fresno State. However, a serious elbow injury in 2003 ended Young’s professional baseball endeavors.
4. Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers was a professional tennis player for a decade. He gained his national ranking playing on the road with a couple of tennis pros who were Wimbledon champions. Marianne Gordon, Roger’s wife from 1977-1993, was actually the one who introduced him to college tennis.
5. Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean was a talented baseball player from Little League through high school. As a standout left-handed lead-off hitter, he earned a college athletic scholarship. However, when not drafted professionally after high school, Aldean chose to pursue his music career instead of playing college baseball.
6. Colt Ford
Jason Brown, aka Colt Ford, used to be a professional golfer. As a young golfer, he was named an AJGA All-American (AJGA stands for American Junior Golf Association). He continued to play golf at the college level. Then, Ford became good enough to play on the Nationwide Tour (also known as the Korn Ferry Tour, one level below the PGA Tour).
7. Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty was an excellent baseball player in high school, with a batting average of .450 when he graduated. The Philadelphia Phillies even offered him a contract, but before he could join the team, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. The Phillies renewed their offer to Twitty when he got home, but he had decided to pursue a music career instead of professional baseball.
8. Kip Moore
Kip Moore was good at many sports while growing up. He attended Wallace State College in Alabama on a basketball scholarship, where he played point guard. A few years later, Moore transferred to Valdosta State University in Georgia, where he joined the golf team. His dad was even a golf pro at the Spring Hill Country Club in Tifton, Georgia, for 30 years.
9. Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood’s athletic background is quite impressive. During her time at Checotah High School in Oklahoma, she was a well-rounded student-athlete. For all four years of high school, Underwood played on both the softball and basketball teams. She also happened to be a cheerleader in high school. Even after achieving fame as a country music star, she hasn’t forgotten her love for softball. Underwood has been a regular participant in the annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball tournament.
10. Charley Pride
Charley Pride, before his music fame, was a baseball player. He started in 1952 with the Memphis Red Sox in the Negro American League. In 1953, he joined a New York Yankees minor league team. Pride played for several minor league teams until 1956, when he was drafted into the Army. There, he played on the base team and won a championship. After leaving the Army in 1958, he tried to return to baseball, but an arm injury ended his sports career.
11. Brian Kelley
Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line started as a baseball player. He played at Daytona State College in Florida and then got a scholarship to Florida State University. However, he didn’t get much playing time there. While benched, Kelley started writing music. He later transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, to play baseball and study. At Belmont, he met Tyler Hubbard, his future bandmate.
12. Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins briefly played college football at Louisiana Tech University. He was a walk-on offensive lineman for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, wearing jersey number 50. However, Adkins’ football career was cut short when he suffered a severe knee injury during his freshman year. This injury forced him to leave the team without ever playing in an official game.
13. Lee Brice
Lee Brice attended Clemson University on a football scholarship. At 6’3″ and 270 pounds, he played as a lineman and long snapper on special teams. However, a serious injury to his right arm ended his football dreams. This setback led Brice to shift his focus to country music.
14. Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt had a notable football career before becoming a country music star. He excelled as a quarterback at Cedartown High School in Georgia, earning several honors, including a Wendy’s High School Heisman nomination. Hunt then played college football, first at Middle Tennessee State University (2003-2004) and later at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2005-2006). After graduating in 2007, Hunt had a tryout with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 but didn’t make the team.
15. Chase Rice
Chase Rice played football for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Rice showed promise. However, a severe ankle injury ended his football career, forcing him to abandon NFL aspirations. Rice later briefly worked as a NASCAR pit crew member before pursuing country music.
