DeMarcus Ware shares heartfelt reason for national anthem performance

When Class of 2023 Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware sang the national anthem prior to Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, he was doing it to honor a friend.

Ware was not tone-deaf by any means. That said, it was clear from listening to his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that he won’t be picking up any record deals any time soon. So, what made him decide to do that? Memories with Demaryius Thomas.

During the game, Ware was interviewed and spoke about his singing the national anthem. He recalled his time with the Denver Broncos as a teammate of Thomas. The two would stand together on the sideline and sing the national anthem before the games began.

Thomas would have turned 34 on Christmas Day in 2021 but tragically passed away on Dec.9 of that year. In his interview, Ware said that Thomas is “not here right now.” Despite that, he also said that “I knew he was gonna be there with me, out there when I was singing.

After Ware sang the national anthem before Thursday’s game, he shared that he was doing so in tribute to Thomas. And while Thomas passed away in December of 2021, Ware shared that “I knew he was gonna be with there with me out there when I was singing.”

Ware and Thomas were teammates in Denver for three seasons, from 2014-2016. Together, they helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers following the 2015 season.