Jamal Roberts, the season 23 winner of American Idol, stepped into one of the most high-profile stages in American sports Monday night.
He performed the national anthem ahead of the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami Gardens.
The 28-year-old from Meridian, Mississippi also captured national attention as a gospel singer.
His emotional delivery and authenticity resonated with millions of viewers, culminating in a record-breaking 26 million votes during the Idol finale, the largest in the show’s history.
He has also topped Billboard’s Gospel charts with his debut single Heal and earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Gospel Performance/Song for his collaboration with Jonathan McReynolds.
He has more than 115000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
He previously worked as physical education teacher at Crestwood Elementary School.
The anthem performance marked another milestone in Roberts’ success.
Before kickoff between the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes, Roberts sang The Star-Spangled Banner while 18-year-old Maria Pernalete interpreted the anthem in American Sign Language.
The pregame ceremony also featured the Florida Memorial University Ambassador Chorale performing America the Beautiful with Brianna Therve providing ASL interpretation.
