When Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem tour kicks off Friday (June 20) at Houston’s NRG Stadium, all eyes will be looking to see if he continues his trend of walking out to the stage with local pro athletes. It’s become a highlight of the shows and the walk outs — broadcast on the venue’s jumbotrons — pump up the audience as much as they do Wallen.
NRG Stadium is home to the NFL’s Houston Texans and the team doesn’t report to training camp until Sunday, June 22, so our bet is on All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. making the walk with him.
Wallen told Apple Music Country last week that he’s been in training himself, getting ready for the 20-date football stadium outing which will hit 10 cities through Sept. 13. Among his opening acts are Koe Wetzel, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock and Thomas Rhett.
“I spend months at this point getting ready to get on tour, just getting in shape,” he said. “I don’t have to be in any kind of crazy shape to record in the studio. With how big my stage is, how much I run around, and how much effort that me and the guys put into it, I don’t think you would know that by just listening to the record.”
Wallen remains on top of the charts, as I’m The Problem stays at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for its fourth consecutive week since its May 16 release.
Below are six Wallen walkouts from the 2023-2024 One Night at a Time tour with NFL greats. We’ll also be looking to see if the walkout music has changed from “Broadway Girls,” his 2022 collaboration with Lil Durk.
For his three hometown shows at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium last May, Wallen was cheered on May 2 by Tennessee Titan wide receiver DeAndre Watkins, who is now with the Kansas City Chiefs. They were accompanied by Wallen’s pal and podcaster Theo Von.
Dallas’s AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas exploded on July 26, 2024 when former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman walked out with Wallen. Aikman may have been relatively reserved compared to some of Wallen’s other walkout buddies, but it didn’t matter to the legend’s fans.
On Aug. 2, 2024, Wallen walked out with three members of the Kansas City Chiefs, the then-reigning Super Bowl champs at Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Wearing kicker Harrison Butker’s No. 7 jersey, Wallen was flanked by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones.
For his Sept. 22, 2024 show at Knoxville, Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium, Wallen brought out the big guns. Manning is, of course, a pro football legend from his time with the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, but it all started at University of Tennessee with Manning as QB in 1994. He donned his UT uniform to get the crowd extra hyped. They weren’t alone; they were joined by current UT football coach Josh Heupel and then-UT wide receiver Bru McCoy and QB Nico Iamaleava (who has since transferred to UCLA).
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield made the long walk with Wallen on Oct. 4, 2024 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., along with pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. Mayfield returned to sing “Whiskey, Whiskey” with Wallen on stage.
The GOAT, Tom Brady, helped get Wallen pumped as he joined him for the walkout Aug. 9, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Of course, Brady played for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who play at Allegiant. They were joined by boxing GOAT, Mike Tyson.
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