'Nice to get away' | Louisville lineman finds harmony with football and music

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Before Sam Secrest ever stepped into Louisville's offensive line room, music was his first playbook.

“My first memory revolving around music, I took piano lessons when I was a kid, so piano was kind of like my first musical introduction," Secrest said. "I've always had a musical family. My older sister plays guitar and sings, and my dad plays guitar, drums, and all that good stuff. I've always grown up around it, and we have a music room in our house, so I always played guitar down there.”

When Secrest got to college his connection to music continued to grow.

“For the longest time, I could play — like, I knew the basic chords and all that good stuff," he said. "And then there was one time I was sitting in my basement playing. I’d always tried to play and sing. I think it was a Zach Bryan song, and I was playing the chords, and I remember my mom was upstairs cooking. I was trying to play and sing at the same time. I would play, and I’d start singing, and I’d stop. And I couldn’t get it, couldn’t get it — and it just clicked one time. My mom came down, stopped what she was doing, and came down. She’s like, ‘Oh, that sounds pretty good.’”

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Playing a few songs became a regular routine and his perfect escape from the demands of football.

“Obviously, with football and everything, there are a lot of stressful times and stuff like that," Secrest said. "So, when I can go home at the end of the day and just sit there for 30 minutes and play guitar and sing, it’s nice to be able to get away from everything.”

Secrest decided to share his talents with the world on TikTok.

“My dad kind of inspired me with that because he worked up the courage to post him playing the drums and playing guitar," he said. "And so I think it was over winter break — I was downstairs playing. I was hooked up to the PA and everything, and just tried recording and found something that sounded good, and just posted it and got some good feedback, and just continued doing it.”

His teammates and coaches are already some of Secrest's biggest fans.

“Oh, they love it," he said. "They love it. I get a lot of good feedback from them and song suggestions and stuff like that.”

The NFL is the goal. However, you might catch him in action earlier in the week as well.

“My older sister — she plays gigs on Friday and Saturday nights back home," he said. "I’ve thought about getting out with her, playing some gigs. And I've actually thought about — I've got some connections here in the city that have some events. So, maybe even thought about getting out and playing at some of those events. It would definitely be out of my comfort zone, but worth a try.”

Through injuries, transferring, moving states, and being away from family, music has always been the steady rhythm behind every unpredictable part of his journey.

“When I’m playing guitar, I’m just not thinking about anything other than playing the chords and singing," Secrest said. "And when I’m out here, I guess there’s a commonality in it — that when I’m out here, that’s all I’m thinking about, is football.”