While a native of Louisiana, country singer Robert Mizzell found his life taking him far beyond the state when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Traveling the world, he eventually settled on a new home in Ireland. Helping bring country music to Ireland, the NFL looked to expand its global appeal over the weekend with a matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers. But even before kickoff, the NFL welcomed Mizzell to the field to perform the National Anthem. And with millions watching around the world, it seemed that Mizzell needed a little help with the lyrics as he was caught looking at his cowboy hat.
Like any NFL game, there are cameras everywhere. Even for fans, there is no escaping being blasted on televisions across the world when the camera turns on them. But for Mizzell, he found himself in a unique position when helming the National Anthem. Proud to be asked to perform, the country singer powered through the song. But although his performance appeared seamless, fans noticed he continuously looked at his hat.
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What Fans Had To Say About Robert Mizzell Performing The National Anthem
With the performance shared online, fans discussed the moment, writing, “He had the words written in his hat. He kept checking because he did not know the words of the song.” Another person added, “Good thing he brought the correct hat! ‘Oh say size seven and a half.”
Not all comments focused on the cowboy hat. “One of the best most moving National Anthems I’ve ever heard. Thank you Ireland.”
As for Mizzell, he shared his own video on Facebook, discussing the special moment. “What an exciting day, standing up in front of 80,000 people in Croke Park. It was a tough day in one way, but very very rewarding in another. I want to thank the NFL for asking me to come up and do the honor of coming up to singing the National Anthem, a song I haven’t sung in 30 years. When I sing it and when I hear other people sing it, it reminds me of how patriotic that so many Americans are.”
Not addressing the cowboy hat directly, Mizzell’s line, “it was a tough day in one way,” could be his way of acknowledging the mishap. Still, with the performance over, he concluded, “I was also delighted to represent Ireland in some way, as I’ve been living here here for 3o years. I have a great passion for this country as well.”
Despite the chatter about his cowboy hat, Mizzell walked away from the NFL stage proud, honored, and grateful for a moment that blended both his American roots and Irish home.
(NFL, 2025)
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