DeMarcus Ware sings national anthem at Hall of Fame Game ahead of Canton induction

DeMarcus Ware can add singing to his Hall of Fame resume.

Ware, who played for the Dallas Cowboys (2005–2013) and Denver Broncos (2014–2016) during his 12-year NFL career, performed the national anthem ahead of the Hall of Fame Game preseason opener between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets on Thursday in Canton, Ohio, where he will soon be enshrined forever with a bronze bust and gold jacket.

Ware will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the 2023 class.

The Super Bowl 50 champion admitted he was nervous ahead of time — “I wasn’t even this nervous during the Super Bowl. This is the most nervous that I have ever been in my life” — but you wouldn’t be able to tell as he sung along to the piano and held an epic closing note.

Ware flashed a smile and his signature dimples after he concluded.

“Good for you DeMarcus Ware. That was cool,” play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico said. Analyst Cris Collinsworth added, “I’ve never cheered so hard for a football player in my whole life.”

Watch Ware’s full performance below.

DEMARCUS WARE: Singing national anthem for Hall of Fame game is ‘most nervous’ he’s been

Ware learned a love for music from his mother, Brenda, and his Uncle Willie. In high school, he was the singer for Mirage, a band he formed with his buddies. In a 2016 essay on The Players’ Tribune, Ware recalled fond memories of growing up in Alabama with his uncle playing the guitar and reflected on how music helped him balance his football life as “oasis from it all.”