Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Blake Proehl is going all-in on his music career, and he’s so serious about the new endeavor he told TMZ Sports that he’d take a Grammy over a Super Bowl win. The 25-year-old blew the “American Idol” judges away during his audition on the 22nd season of the singing show, even bringing Katy Perry to tears as he earned a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Proehl said it’s still hard to wrap his head around the fact it actually happened, but he hopes his journey inspires others to follow their dreams, even if they lack experience or confidence in taking a leap of faith.
He spent a few years in the NFL, but he fell back in love with music when he was sidelined following an injury in 2021. The time away from the field led to his decision to leave football in the past, despite having opportunities to continue his career, and now, it’s full steam ahead in entertainment.
Proehl explained he understands the risk of switching professions, especially considering it’s rare to make it big in music, but all that mattered was that he was doing what he loved. He added his old self would be shocked to see how everything changed so quickly, but he wouldn’t change a thing. Proehl performed a rendition of Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know” that gave judge Katy Perry goosebumps. “If you will allow us to be your coaches,” Perry said, “you’re going to be top 10.”
The other two judges, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, were also impressed by Proehl. Bryan called his performance “very believable, very innocent, and vulnerable.” Richie simply called Proehl a “natural.” Proehl was accompanied by his grandmother, who he says encouraged him to pursue “American Idol.” His grandmother was also featured in one of his first viral TikToks. His musical talent was first noticed by fans on TikTok when he began posting covers as well as original songs.
He said, “So I posted a few videos of me singing and like they were doing pretty good. Fast forward to like December and I posted a video to my grandma, and it got like 25 million views.” Proehl will compete again during Hollywood Week on “American Idol.”