During the “American Idol” premiere Sunday night, a former NFL player auditioned and wowed the judges with his talent.
Blake Proehl, 24, was drafted to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft, and played for three years as a wide receiver before severely injuring his knee. He was initially inspired by his father, Ricky, who played in the league for 17 years, and won several Super Bowl champions. His brother, Austin, also played in the league, and temporarily signed with the New York Giants in 2022.
Proehl told host Ryan Seacrest that he “tore a bunch of stuff,” referring to his ACL and was placed on injury reserve. During the time when he was recovering from his injury — which Proehl said was the “toughest” time — he started getting more into music.
Proehl said his grandmother is one of the main reasons he decided to pursue music more seriously, sharing that she was the only one who believed in him. In a heartwarming moment, Proehl brought his grandmother into the room to meet judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. And with his grandmother next to his side, he performed “In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young as his audition song.
“Every grandma thinks their grandchildren are great, but you’re right!” Perry said to Proehl and his grandmother at the end of his performance, giving the ex-NFL player high praise, and saying he has the potential to make it into the top 10 should he agree to be coached by the three of them. Bryan also praised Proehl, calling his audition “believable,” “innocent” and “vulnerable,” while Richie called his performance “natural.”
On Instagram, Proehl shared a photo Sunday night holding up his golden ticket with the caption, “Did someone say “Hollywood?””
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Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram.