Chris Botti Brings NFL Players To Tears With Trumpet Rendition Of the National Anthem


Chris Botti is a Grammy Award-winning Jazz trumpeter, and anyone that has heard him play, knows that he deserves the recognition. Well, that was evident on November 3, when he played a rendition of the National Anthem and was able to bring one player to tears.

Botti stepped out onto the field before the “Monday Night Football” game between the New York Giants and the Indianapolis Colts. UPROXX showed a gigantic American flag covering the field and waving behind him as Botti stood on a podium and brought the trumpet to his lips.

As the notes of the Star Spangled Banner played into the silent evening, the ESPN cameras panned over and caught the face of Colts’ wide receiver Reggie Wayne. WTHR reported that Wayne was returning to the field after sitting out a week with an arm injury that had also kept him out of practice for some time.

It was then that crowd stayed silent and the emotion was all over Wayne’s face. As Botti’s beautiful trumpet-playing filled the air, tears streamed down Wayne’s face, and he did everything he possibly could to contain them.

He didn’t come close to being successful, though, because the tears just kept rolling down his face and his bottom lip quivered. Perhaps, it was a return to the field for the Colts or maybe it was just how beautiful Botti was playing the National Anthem.

Either way, it was truly getting to Reggie Wayne.

As you may expect in this day and age of the Internet, Wayne’s tears are already being made into a meme. Some are comparing him to Miami Dolphins’ running back Knowshon Moreno. When he was with the Denver Broncos, he cried huge tears before a game with the Kansas City Chiefs back in December.

While Chris Botti’s rendition of the National Anthem was entirely beautiful and moving, the tears of Wayne were not nearly as funny as those of Moreno. It truly looked as if Wayne had been moved greatly by the song of the United States, and it was quite touching.

Wayne’s hyperextended elbow that made him miss the one game had begun some talk and discussion that maybe his time in the NFL is coming to an end. After all, he has been in the league since 2001 and is going to soon be 36-years-old.

He quickly proved those people wrong. After the tears had rolled to Chris Botti’s great trumpet playing, Wayne caught two passes in the first half against the Giants and looked perfectly fine.

[Image via sfjazz.org]

Share this article: Chris Botti Brings NFL Players To Tears With Trumpet Rendition Of the National Anthem
More from Inquisitr