Columbia Nashville/Dack JanielsThese days, there’s more than one current country singer who once had a promising career in college football. Sam Hunt was the quarterback for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, while Chase Rice was a linebacker at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Even though he’s a native Tar Heel, Chase says it’s still not easy picking a side when it comes to Super Bowl 50.
“Yeah, the Super Bowl’s tough for me this year,” he admits. “I’m a huge Peyton Manning fan. Love who he is as a person, love his character, and love his passion for the game of football, ’cause I’m a huge football guy. Grew up playin’ football, played in college, almost played in the NFL. And seein’ Peyton Manning’s love for the game is awesome. But, it’s hard to pull against the Carolina Panthers.”
Chase says a friendship he made after college makes it even harder.
“I’m from Asheville — Fairview, North Carolina — right outside of Asheville, I lived in Charlotte for about a year and a half, two years when I worked in NASCAR. Actually, one of my roommates when I was workin’ in NASCAR was Hilee Taylor, who played for the Panthers for a couple years. So, it’s really hard for me to pull against the Panthers, but lucky for me, I get a win-win situation Super Bowl Sunday, ’cause if the Broncos win, I’m very, very happy for Peyton, and if the Panthers win, then we finally brought a Super Bowl home to Carolina.”
While Chase may have a hard time deciding whether he wants the Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos to win Sunday’s game, there’s one thing he does know for sure- – he doesn’t want to host the party!
“The first Super Bowl party I’ve ever thrown was last year, and I actually hated it…I’m a huge football guy. I love watchin’, breakin’ down the game. So havin’ all those people around, everybody cheerin’, everybody screamin’, everybody talkin’ ’bout maybe even things other than the Super Bowl, I wanted to tell ’em, ‘Get outta here! I’m watchin’ the game!’ So it was tough for me to throw a party. I’d rather go to someone else’s party and not have all the stress of havin’ people over and all that and havin’ food made and all that. I’d rather just kinda sit there and watch the game.”
While the lead single from Chase’s sophomore album was likely not inspired by the advice he’d like to give at Super Bowl parties, it is appropriately titled — “Whisper” is due out Friday.
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