It could be argued that college football and music are the two things that Athens is most known for, and the common perception is that they don’t often intersect. In the case of former University of Georgia tight end turned hip-hop artist Wix Patton, both are essential elements of his story.

For Patton, who hails from Peachtree City, getting cut from his high school football team in 9th grade left him wide open to fall in love with music. Without much of a scene to move into, he found others in his town who were recording their own music, and started working with them frequently. But when things didn’t pan out the way Patton wanted them to, and his grades began to suffer, he re-joined the team for junior year.

“I completely transformed,” said Patton. “It was crazy. Not making it in football brought me to music. Giving up music was what got me to work hard to get into UGA. Then, UGA opened up the opportunity for me to be an artist.”

The defining moment came while the Bulldogs were in California for the 2018 Rose Bowl. At a team event in a Los Angeles comedy club, two of Patton’s fellow players called him up onstage to rap for the audience. The next day, coach Kirby Smart played the video at a team meeting, and a subsequent Twitter post caused the clip to go viral.

Inspired by the reception, Patton and starting cornerback Tyrique McGhee got together and recorded a song called “Woah There” and released it on Soundcloud, which picked up enough steam to be played at practice and in the football stadium. During the off-season, McGhee and Patton performed their tracks at fraternity shows and Atlanta clubs, but after the release of the “Go Dawgs” anthem, NCAA Compliance Officers came knocking.

“They said that I’d been profiting off of UGA’s name and likeness through putting out music,” said Patton, “which is something athletes can do now.”

When faced with having to take down all the tracks he’d released in order to continue to play football, Patton saw the situation as the push he needed to finally pursue his dream of being a recording artist, and took advantage of the moment.

“I’ve always been passionate about music, and I felt like that was my entry way into doing what I’d always wanted to do,” said Patton, who had already booked a Beverly Hills video shoot for his song “100 Miles” before leaving the team. 4 days later, he was discovered by Atlanta music mogul Don Perry, one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful consultants.

When asked if he’d still be playing football if the NCAA hadn’t given him an ultimatum, Patton said yes, but noted that wearing two hats would make giving 100% to both endeavors impossible. Still, he credits his time as an athlete for instilling an intensely committed work ethic.

“I was driving from Athens to Atlanta every night after tutoring and practice, because that’s where I had the opportunity to record in a studio,” said Patton, who put together a team of musicians, producers, and management. “You can’t do everything as one person. We all play a role. That’s what football gave me when it came to music.”

Patton’s latest song, “Gelato Glued,” was released on April 28th. Visit https://www.wixpatton.com/ for streaming tracks, music videos, and social media.

Listen to the full audio interview with Wix Patton here: