The internet is still abuzz about Chris Stapleton‘s national anthem performance prior to Sunday night’s Super Bowl (February 12).
The 44-year-old country star delivered what is being called one of the best renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” ever ahead of the big game kickoff at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Stapleton stood solo in center field and accompanied himself on guitar as he sang the familiar lyrics. His soulful rendition brought football fans, players and even coaches to tears as they listened. Footage of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni with tears running down his face went viral, and was a testament to the emotion of the moment.
In an interview following his tear-jerking performance, Chris Stapleton told Entertainment Tonight, “Man, it felt great. It really did. The energy was good and the crowd was hyped up for the game, so that kind of gets you ready to go.”
But, he admitted that he will likely never see Coach Sirianni’s reaction to the performance.
“I don’t know if I can watch it, man,” Chris told ET. “I try not to watch myself back too much.”
In a post-game press conference, Sirianni explained the reason behind his tears.
“I’ve dreamed about this since I’ve been two years old,” he told reporters. “It’s just emotional because there’s a lot of work, not just by myself, but a lot of people. Starting with my wife and my kids, my brothers, my dad and just so many people…It’s just emotional in that moment knowing where we were.”
Nick Sirianni on Crying Before the #SuperBowlLVII
“I’ve dreamed about this since I’ve been two years old… It’s just emotional because there’s a lot of work, not just by myself, but a lot of people. Starting with my wife and my kids, my brothers, my dad and just so many people” pic.twitter.com/BSqZ5TzQ46
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) February 13, 2023
Hear Chris Stapleton’s stunning rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the video below.
To find out how much Chris Stapleton and other Super Bowl performers earned for their participation in the big game, click HERE.
Read reactions from Chris Stapleton’s fellow country stars HERE.