Former NFL Player Blake Proehl Gets a Ticket to Hollywood on 'American Idol' — Why Did He Quit Football?

Blake Proehl went from making to touchdowns at the field to a touchdown during his 'American Idol' audition.

Feb. 19 2024, Published 12:54 p.m. ET

Among the tens of hundreds who audition for American Idol each and every season, a few always stand out. Some are identified for their high-energy, unconventional performances, while others captivate with their tough vocals and/or heartwarming tales that depart the judges and viewers floored.

During the Season 22 premiere, we met Blake Proehl from Charlotte, N.C., who falls firmly into the latter category. While Blake is new to singing, he's not new to having an target market. Blake is in truth a former NFL player. Below, we discuss why he transitioned to track.

Why did former NFL participant Blake Proehl stop taking part in soccer?

Before pursuing singing, Blake performed for the Minnesota Vikings as a large receiver. He joined the crew in 2021 as an undrafted loose agent after a solid college career at East Carolina University. However, Blake's time with the Vikings used to be tragically cut short after he suffered a debilitating knee harm that cost him his career.

After his harm, Blake was instructed it will be "a success story" if he may just ever even run again. Unsure of what to do, he turned to music.

"I wasn't able to walk for so long. That's when music kind of came in and saved me," he stated right through his audition.

But it was once one individual, who in reality driven him to pursue song, his grandma or "Nana" as he calls her. In December 2021, Blake filmed a video of him performing for Nana for the first time. The video went viral on TikTok, collecting over twenty-eight million views.

Blake comes from a soccer family. His father Ricky Proehl played within the league for 17 years, while his brother Austin played for the New York Giants, but was launched on August 16, 2022.

Blake Proehl's audition on 'American Idol' blew the judges away.

During Blake's audition, the judges invited Nana in as smartly, and it used to be just as heartwarming as you could possibly have imagined. Blake performed "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brett Young.

Throughout the performance, judge Katy Perry stored looking at her arm, pointing out the goosebumps that Blake's vocals had been giving her.

"If you allow us to be your coaches, you're gonna be top 10," she told Blake right through the comments portion. Moments later Blake was awarded his Golden Ticket to Hollywood.

So, how a long way will Blake get on Idol? We'll just have to music in to watch.

Watch American Idol on Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfl7mit8Rmp6unlZ25brrFpWScmaKasrN5wKacq6GTlrtutcOoow%3D%3D