The NFL hosted its season finale on Sunday.\u00a0 It was an eventful evening with the Buffalo Bills beating out the New England Patriots to earn the #2 seed.\u00a0 However, the matchup between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars featured something special before the game even started.<\/p>\n
Most all sporting events in this country feature a moment to play the national anthem just before the game to honor our country and the values we stand for (assuming the NFL players aren\u2019t kneeling the whole time).\u00a0 The Jaguars featured a unique rendition of the national anthem performed on electric guitar by none other than a Florida man sporting an epic mullet. I don\u2019t think this performance could\u2019ve been more patriotic.\u00a0 The entire stadium is adorned with American flags on the jumbotron, on the field, and even the performer\u2019s guitar which had the flag painted on it.<\/p>\n
He absolutely shredded his rendition, leading some to call it the greatest anthem performance in history.\u00a0 \u00a0When thinking about national anthem covers on electric guitar, perhaps the quintessential example that comes to mind is Jimmi Hendrix playing it at Woodstock in 1969.\u00a0 However, it is said that Hendrix played the anthem as a protest to the war in Vietnam, in a very unpatriotic fashion.\u00a0 Instead of playing the anthem to cater to a bunch anti-war hippies on acid at Woodstock, our man in the video was playing it to honor our country.<\/p>\n
The guitarist in the video is named Paul Wane who is a local Jacksonville resident.\u00a0 He plays in band called \u201cDuval County Line\u201d.\u00a0 Wane also has been operating a nonprofit foundation called \u201cGuitars for Kids\u201d which has supplied nearly 300 instruments to children over the past several years.<\/p>\n
One of the kids who was a given a guitar from the foundation happened to be the son of a security worker at the stadium.\u00a0 The individual within security connected Wane with the Jaguars, which is eventually how we was chosen to perform the national anthem.\u00a0 Wane\u00a0said<\/a>, \u201cWe gave an instrument to a young man, and it turns out his father works security here at the stadium. He got to talking to some of his co-workers about it, and they invited me to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n This unique opportunity provided an outlet to give further awareness to Wane\u2019s cause.\u00a0 He emotionally explained the joy he feels when seeing a child get their first musical instrument.\u00a0 \u201cI remember what it felt like, you know, to know it was\u00a0my\u00a0<\/i>guitar,\u201d Wane said. \u201cAnd no one\u2019s going to have it, it\u2019s mine. To see that look on their face and to know they can\u2019t wait to get it home.\u201d<\/p>\n Wayne also said that out of the enormous crowd at the Jaguars stadium the most important people there were his family members. \u201cMy mother will be standing there. Unfortunately, my father is not here to see. I wish he could, but he\u2019s watching,\u201d Wane said. \u201cMy uncle, he gave me my first guitar, he\u2019s going to be standing there.\u201d<\/p>\n WATCH THE VIDEO:<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/bTEbVvajHL<\/a><\/p>\n — Colandrea 4 Heisman (@chickenbarmesan) January 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n