Oct 22, 2026 · 1h 9m
Dave McElroy turns athletic discipline into a country career
From Big Ten Linebacker to CMA Breakout Artist with Dave McElroy | Interview Sessions Ep. 574
The conversation traces how one performer carried lessons from football, entrepreneurship, music, television, and charitable work into a public life.
- 1McElroy moved from University of Minnesota athletics into lawn care, country music, and television hosting.
- 2He treats songwriting and live performance as forms of storytelling built on preparation, energy, and direct audience connection.
- 3The shutdown prompted Hang Time, while hunting and public visibility became avenues for peace and charitable giving.
Don't miss
McElroy explains how the 2020 shutdown canceled his tour but led him to create Hang Time, an outdoor show built around a more personal approach.
The brief
Dave McElroy’s path runs from middle linebacker and quarter-mile runner at the University of Minnesota to lawn-care entrepreneur, country artist, and television host.
His career shift was practical as well as creative: he built a profitable landscaping company, sold it, and pursued country music through songwriting, studio work, and live performance.
The interview’s central tension is between competition and connection, from football loyalties and roughing-the-passer rules to McElroy’s emphasis on storytelling and audience intimacy.
When the 2020 shutdown canceled his tour, McElroy created Hang Time, reshaping hunting television around personal conversation, faith, family, and the quiet of the outdoors.
McElroy also frames visibility as a responsibility, using his profile to support St. Jude’s and the Lead the Way Foundation while valuing team achievement over individual recognition.
Books & mentions
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.