DeMarcus Ware Had A Touching Reason For Singing The National Anthem Before The Hall Of Fame Game

The NFL was back on television for the first time in six months as the Hall of Fame Game kicked off the preseason in Canton, Ohio with the Jets and Browns getting their first game action of the summer. The game is merely the start of the weekend’s festivities, as the main event comes this weekend when the Class of 2023 is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with a number of stars of the not too distant past getting honored.

Among them is DeMarcus Ware, the former defensive end who starred for the Cowboys and later the Broncos in his terrific 12-year career. Ware wasn’t just honored before the game alongside his fellow inductees, but he also took center stage before kickoff to sing the national anthem, putting his all into a memorable performance.

The first reaction of many was to ask why Ware chose to sing the anthem, but he did so for an incredibly heartfelt reason, as when he was with the Broncos he used to stand on the sidelines and sing it with Demaryius Thomas, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

Yes, Ware is going to sing the national anthem before a game. Ware used to sing the anthem on the sidelines with late teammate Demaryius Thomas when both played for the Denver Broncos.

Ware said he’s going to sing the anthem for Thomas, who died in 2021.

For Ware, it was his way of paying tribute to his late teammate and pushed him to step well outside of his comfort zone. Ware told the Dallas Morning News he was more nervous in the lead up to singing the anthem in Canton than he was for the Super Bowl,