OK, Darren Waller! Maybe things didn’t work out in his first season with the New York Giants, but the Pro Bowl tight end isn’t letting that stop him from continuing to embark upon a fledgling music career of sorts.
Waller released a video to promote an upcoming full-on album, with a single soon to come that he’ll release on February 16. I’d assume that’s the song excerpt he’s shared here via Instagram:
The opening few lines where he references a rough first year in the Big Apple are great. It’s a damn good little sampler overall. My personal favorite is an allusion to LeBron James’ fashion on NBA Draft night, because of course it is: “Gotta do it big like a draft suit from LeBron.”
ICYMI or don’t recall off the dome, those 2003 draft suits were massive indeed.
Now, whenever somebody pulls up to a Hollywood awards show or the Met Gala in something that’s approx. six sizes too big, this is the sports-related analogy that often gets thrown around the Internet for some good throwback fun.
Waller already has an all-time inspirational story, the details of which I’m sure will remain a frequent presence across many of his songs. He was on the precipice of flaming out of the NFL early and/or killing himself because of substance abuse issues. Thankfully, Waller managed to turn it all around, got sober, and become an absolute force to be reckoned with on the gridiron for a couple seasons with the Raiders.
Unfortunately, nagging hamstring injuries have plagued Waller since his run of 197 receptions from 2019-20. He’s missed 19 games over the past three seasons and has been limited in several others.
Credit to Waller for finding a creative outlet like this and still avoiding the vices that plagued him. You can find Waller’s music videos on YouTube. His latest one is titled “Learned My Lesson”, and it’s very well-made.
Let’s hope Waller can stay healthy in 2024 and help the G-Men get back on track after going 6-11 and failing to back up their stunning playoff appearance from the previous year.
