New York College Football Player Amazes Crowd with National Anthem

Forget the Home Run Derby, this is the real National Anthem performance that we should be talking about! This video of an Ithaca Football player is making the rounds online and capturing hearts.

Swing, and a Miss!

It can be a huge honor to sing the National Anthem for major sporting events. There have been a slew of both hits or misses over the years. The one performance that is still fresh in everyone's minds is Ingrid Andress's now infamous performance at the MLB Home Run Derby on July 15th.

After the performance, the four-time Grammy nominee announced she was checking herself into rehab, as she blamed her performance on being drunk at the time. “I’m not gonna bulls–t y’all, I was drunk last night,” Andress posted via X on Tuesday, July 16. “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need.”

This doesn't seem to be a career ender, though. The Nashville-based country singer, 32, has seen her streams spike in the wake of a disastrous rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday, July 15. Billboard reports that Andress’ streaming numbers more than tripled on the day of and day after the Derby.

This is the National Anthem Performance We Should Be Talking About

It's tough to be a college athlete, and it is tough being a music major. Both tracks are time consuming, along with being physically and mentally demanding. One Ithaca College student; however, is finding a way to master both! Nick Capodilupo ’24 is a voice performance major and Football player at Ithaca College who loves belting out the “Star-Spangled Banner” for stadium audiences.

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“I have sung the national anthem so many times I have lost count,” shares Nick. He first performed the piece for an audience when he was in ninth grade. “The biggest thing for me is realizing what the song means,” he says.

A high note? When Nick sang the national anthem at Yankee Stadium for the 63rd Cortaca Jug game. This opportunity led to another when the Yankees invited him back to New York City to perform it again to open one of their baseball games. Nick was ecstatic: “I owe a huge thank you to Ithaca football.”

Nick, if Football doesn't work out for you, you totally have a future in singing. Somebody sign this kid to a label and get him on stage! What an amazing voice!