Whether it’s through a memorable metal playlist featuring the likes of Ozzy Osbourne or an iconic rock album they grew up with, many sports professionals listen to music when they’re working hard on the training field. In the NFL, many past and present professional football players love heavy music for a variety of reasons.
Whether they’re working out in the gym or celebrating a big win against a rival, many NFL players have shared their love of guitar riffs and hard rock percussion. For rock music and heavy metal fans who also assess NFL Player Props odds and make their fantasy picks throughout a typical season, it makes the football players they know and love even more relatable.
With an abundance of new and old American football players being proud metal heads and rock music connoisseurs, below we highlight their favorite bands and why they attend gigs when they aren’t executing the hardest of hits on the NFL field.
Nick Mangold
NFL players listen to playlists to get them in the mood for highly anticipated clashes against their most fearsome rivals. Given the all-action, brutal nature of the sport at times, they simply need to be mentally ready to go to war. That’s exactly why metal music and heavy guitars do the job when compared to Taylor Swift tracks. For Nick Mangold, dancing around to “Shake it Off” was simply never an option. Instead, the New York Jets hero got everything he needed from some of Metallica’s finest compositions, including “The Frayed End of Sanity.” As shared in numerous interviews, Mangold had to have the American heavy metal band on his pre-game playlist.
Travis Kelce
Speaking of Taylor Swift, her partner in crime, Travis Kelce, is a big fan of rock music in general. As discussed on his leading podcast New Heights with his brother, Jason Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs adores “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC, plus a whole host of other tracks from the band. In fact, he loves the Australian rock band so much that he even burst out into song during a past interview.
Jake Long
Aged 41 now, Jake Long is a former professional who adores the heavier side of music. The former Dolphins star reportedly had his favorites he’d listen to before taking on his rivals on the field, with bands like AC/DC and Metallica being featured on his playlists. Now retired from the sport, Jake Long has all the time in the world to mosh out to his beloved bands and their variety of iconic tunes.
Marc Colombo
Marc Colombo retired from the sport a long time ago and he always had his eye on a career in music once his playing days were over. In fact, alongside his former Dallas Cowboys teammate Leonard Davis, plus Miami Dolphins player Cory Procter, Colombo formed a band called Free Reign. A bigger-than-usual heavy metal band who enjoyed the fruits of their labor, they went on to do extremely well for themselves. In fact, Free Reign won Revolver Magazine’s Golden Gods Award for the “Most Metal Athletes” out there.
Darian Kinnard
Darian Kinnard is an important part of the Green Bay Packers’ unit. In order for him to consistently shine on the field, the offensive tackle embraces extremely heavy music from bands like Sleep Token. Kinnard has attended gigs, posted their tracks, and more. A staunch supporter of the band, plus an array of other music from similar categories, Darian Kinnard is a fan of listening to heavy music before and after he’s on the football field.
