ROCKDALE, Texas — Under the lights at Tiger Stadium, there is a good chance you have seen Cole Rickman record pancake blocks and hit anyone lined up across from him.
"He's obviously a heck of a football player," 14-year Rockdale coach Jeff Miller said.
But once the pads come off, the Rockdale High School senior trades the helmet for a hat and microphone.
Rickman is an award-winning country music singer and his teammates have heard him.
"In the weight room is where they did it," Rickman said. "After I covered (Cover me Up), I sent it to my friend, Levi. He was like, 'Man, I'm going to put this on in the locker room,' and I was like, 'No, no, don't do it, don't do it!' and he did it. Everyone was like, 'Is that Cole?' Yeah, it's me.'"
The happy-go-lucky 17-year-old sings alongside Courtney Eoff, and has since his sophomore year.
The pair have performed at pageants and VFW halls across the Milam County area.
"To see a 6' 3", 280-pound lineman sing the way he does is crazy," Rickman's mom, Jesica, said.
In February, the friends entered the Houston Rodeo Rockstar contest.
And won.
"I didn't want to do it, at first," Cole said. "But, Courtney talked me into it."
When they won, the duo sang Keith Urban's Making Memories of Us in front of what Rickman said is the largest crowd he's performed in front of.
"Courtney says I wasn't that excited," Cole said. "But, in my head, I was excited. If you watch the video of us winning, I was like, 'Yay,' but in my head, I was going crazy. I don't really show it that much."
Looking up from the floor, his parents were beaming.
"Pride," Jesica said. "The same way when he's on the football field. Pride."
With the Tigers turning toward the playoffs, they're hoping to keep this song going.
And, a left tackle clad in blue and goal dreams of continuing to hit by day and record hits by night, as only Cole Rickman could cover.
"I plan on going to play college football," Rickman said. "I've got a couple offers. Then, while I'm doing football, maybe on like Saturday nights, I can go out and sing a little bit."
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