Everyone who watched or heard Jackson Dean Nicholson, a high school senior at Arundel High in Maryland, was left absolutely speechless.

This wasn’t about his football skills, but rather the incredible unexpected pre-game performance he delivered. When Nicholson realized no one was prepared to sing the national anthem, and the school didn’t want to play a recording or rely on the crowd, he took matters into his own hands.

This decision catapulted Nicholson into the limelight when a video of his performance went viral in 2018. Despite not being a professional singer and only having his acoustic guitar, Nicholson managed to deliver one of the most memorable renditions of the U.S. national anthem, even with the pre-game jitters.

“It was very cool. I probably knew 90 percent of the people sitting in those stands, and they had no idea I was doing it ‘til I brought my guitar out,” Nicholson told the Baltimore Sun at the time.

Nicholson, who would later be known by his stage name Jackson Dean, wasn’t new to music. He had been writing and singing songs since his freshman year and was working on his first album when his video went viral.

Reflecting on his football career back in 2018, he said, “This is my last year, then I’m done. I’ve got until January, I’ll have all my credits done, and I only have to be enrolled for this semester. I got a waiver by my principal and she’s very supportive of what I do.

“I’m going to go for it.”

Best of luck, Jackson!

We simply can’t get enough of hearing that performance and hope this is just the beginning.