Brandon Spikes says Luke Combs didn’t exaggerate a thing.
The former Florida linebacker backed up the country star’s bizarre high school football tale after Combs told it on Bussin’ With the Boys, and the story was every bit as wild as it sounded. Combs, who was on the podcast in March, described a game from his high school days in North Carolina when his team lined up to run right at Spikes and got a rude awakening.
He looked as old as he does now at 18,” Combs recalled.
“We had a really good running back that year. I think he was going to Western Carolina. Our coach is like, ‘We’re running straight at this dude.’
“It set the tone for the game, but not in the way we had hoped. He absolutely annihilated our running back.
Fullback folded…piece of paper, gone. Running back, folded.
(Spikes) gets over top of him, grabs a dreadlock and rips it out of his head, from his helmet, and wraps it around his wrist like a bracelet and wears it the rest of the game.
Spikes, appearing on the latest episode of the show, heard the clip and didn’t hesitate to confirm it.
“That was a true story,” Spikes said.
The two might seem like an odd football-meets-country-music connection, but the path makes sense. Combs, now 36, grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, while Spikes, who turned 39 last month, was at Crest High School in Shelby, about 1.5 hours away.
Spikes later turned into one of the most decorated linebackers in Florida history. He played under Urban Meyer from 2006-09, earned three first-team All-SEC selections, picked up unanimous All-American honors in 2008 and consensus All-American recognition in 2009, and helped the Gators win BCS national titles in 2006 and 2008. He then played in the NFL until 2016.
Combs’ route took him from Appalachian State, where he attended before dropping out, to teaching himself guitar and eventually launching his music career in 2014. Since then, he’s collected six CMA awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 2021 and ’22.
In Other News...
Bucs Legend Warren Sapp Draws Heat For Another Off-Field Controversy
Warren Sapp has spent decades as one of the most recognizable figures in Buccaneers history, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle whose playing career and later coaching stops have kept him in the football conversation long after his retirement. But a viral video that surfaced this week has shifted the attention back to something far less flattering, adding another uncomfortable chapter to the public image of one of Tampa Bays most celebrated legends.
The clip reignited scrutiny over Sapps conduct off the field, coming after another widely circulated run-in earlier this year drew a different kind of attention. For a player whose football rsum still carries real weight in Tampa Bay circles, the latest controversy only deepens the sense that his post-playing legacy keeps getting complicated by incidents that have nothing to do with the game itself. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Need Help At One Position Before Panthers Game
The Buccaneers are heading into their matchup with the Panthers with another roster shuffle on their hands, and this one hits a spot where depth already mattered. Christian Rozeboom had been a useful piece at inside linebacker, giving Tampa Bay some stability behind the starters, but the team moved him to injured reserve as it adjusts for the stretch run.
In the same transaction window, the Bucs brought David Sills V back from injured reserve, giving them an extra body at receiver at a time when that group is taking hits of its own. The timing matters because Tampa Bay may need him sooner rather than later, which leaves the defense to sort out how it replaces Rozeboom while the offense keeps bracing for more attrition before Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get Encouraging Injury News With Sunday Still In Doubt
The Buccaneers got a little healthier on the practice field this week, with several players back after dealing with illnesses. Bucky Irving and Zyon McCollum were both limited participants, while Calijah Kancey was able to log a full workout, giving Tampa Bay at least some encouraging signs as it prepares for a divisional matchup with Carolina.
Emeka Egbukas status remains one of the bigger questions hanging over the week, and right tackle Luke Goedekes availability is also still unclear. With both sides releasing full injury reports, the Bucs have some positives to work with, but the final picture for Sunday still feels far from settled. [Read more 🡒]