Who is Blake Proehl? American Idol season 22 star’s life explored 

The American Idol season 22 contestant Blake Proehl is a former NFL player who showcased his passion for music in the premiere episode's audition. At 25 years of age, Blake opened up about how he never lost hope after his injury and what motivated him to keep making music.

Following the release of episode 1 on Sunday, February 18, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, Blake Proehl shared his life story and the transition from football to music. His impressive audition stunned the judges, due to which he received a golden ticket to Hollywood.

As of 2024, Blake Proehl has 71.1k followers on his official Instagram account and 595.6k followers on his TikTok account. Blake usually posts singing content and promotes his upcoming songs on social media. His new single, Chapters, released on February 2, 2024, is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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American Idol season 22 star Blake Proehl is a former NFL player turned music recording artist

Blake Proehl had a blooming career in football, growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina. He played college football in East Carolina, following the footsteps of his father Ricky Proeh, a successful NFL player who played for 17 years as a former wide receiver.

The American Idol contestant had previously signed a contract with the Vikings for the 2021 NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent. During training, unfortunately, Blake suffered from a knee injury and was unable to play for the 2021 season.

Blake didn't lose hope and returned for the next season in 2022, but couldn't play due to his injury. Away from football, he decided to spend time exploring his singing abilities and passion for music. Blake explained during his audition interview on American Idol what his journey has been like so far:

"I grew up in a football family. But I got a really bad injury. Doctors said 'It'll be a success story if you're able to run again.'"

Blake also revealed that his grandmother is the reason why he is on the American Idol stage:

“I think I just found music super healing, and my grandma is the reason why I’m here. She’s the reason why I have any confidence at all to be in this room.”

Back in 2021, he made public accounts on various social media platforms. His first video to go viral was him singing in front of his grandmother. The video managed to garner more than 4 million likes.

In March 2022, Blake released his first-ever single, titled Falling For You, and his second single, Where You Need To Be. On Spotify, the American Idol participant was able to achieve more than 400k streams.

His original songs became more famous, getting him singing gigs at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall. Since then, Blake has been working on his upcoming album and has been busy composing new songs.

The former NFL player keeps posting covers on his social media platforms. Blake's most popular videos are of him singing emotional songs such as Wish You The Best and Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi.

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To see more of Blake Proehl's musical journey, stream American Idol on ABC every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT exclusively on ABC. The upcoming episode 2 is set to release on February 25, 2024.