Riley Green smiling in a cowboy hat
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The First Person Riley Green Shows New Songs to May Surprise You [Video]

Musicians can get advice about their songs from a variety of people, and country music singer Riley Green has shared that the first person he goes to with a new song isn’t someone from the music industry. As Green told American Songwriter in a “Five Firsts” interview, he doesn’t rely on another artist or songwriter for honest opinions on new music, but someone from his days in school.

“Probably one of my old football coaches, guy named Adam Ross,” Green said. As the singer explained, he made this choice because of Ross’s honesty. “He was the first person to tell me a song I wrote wasn’t good,” Green said. “So I knew I could trust him.”


The Singer Played NCAA Football in His Hometown

Riley Green posing in a baseball capGetty
Riley Green attends Audacy’s Stars and Strings, presented by Discover at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on November 14, 2024 in Hollywood, Florida.

Long before he scored his first record deal, Green was an NCAA quarterback for Jacksonville State University in his hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama. In 2023, the singer sat down with Much Music to reminisce about his football history.

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#RileyGreen talks about his days as an NCAA athlete 🏟️🏈👀

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“I grew up in Jacksonville, went to Jacksonville High School,” Green said. “So for me, the chance to go play quarterback at the college…it was a dream come true.” However, as the singer lightheartedly shared, he wasn’t a very in-demand player. Record labels pursued him far more aggressively than football scouts, and his choice to leave sports behind for a career in music was clearly a good one.


Green Brought Coach Ross on Stage With Him at a 2023 Concert

Riley Green playing guitar and singingGetty
Riley Green performs onstage for the 2024 CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence Awards ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on September 17, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The relationship between Green and his old coach clearly didn’t end after college, and the singer once included Ross in one of his shows. As Only the Acts reported in 2023, it all started when Green told an audience at the Lincoln Financial Field stadium a story about his grandfather.

According to the singer, his grandfather watched him play football and told him that he’d be better off focusing on music. In the middle of the story, Green brought Ross out on stage. The coach handed his former player an NCAA flag, which the singer signed before tossing it to eager fans in the crowd.

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