NFL fans will get a special treat during this year’s Super Bowl 57 national anthem performance.
We know that country music star Chris Stapleton is singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but he’ll be joined by a recent Academy Award-winning actor during the performance.
CODA co-star Troy Kotsur will be performing the national anthem in American Sign Language during the evening’s broadcast, per Variety.
Kotsur won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor last spring for his performance in the film CODA, only the second-ever Deaf actor to take home the award. He also appeared recently on The Mandalorian as a Tusken Raider and helped the show develop the Tusken Raiders’ sign language.
Troy Kotsur, an Arizona native, couldn't pass up the opportunity to perform the National Anthem in ASL at the #SuperBowlLVII: "It’s really a big deal for me. I feel extremely honored to be here in my hometown." https://t.co/qlFvZ31El0
— Variety (@Variety) February 12, 2023
“It’s a funny story. I’m a big fan of the Arizona Cards and I always follow them early in the season,” Kotsur told Variety about his performance.
“I realized they weren’t doing so well this year, so I kind of stopped following the NFL because I was so busy. And then the National Association of the Deaf asked me to perform the national anthem.
“I was on the fence for about two weeks and then I learned that it was my hometown that was hosting the Super Bowl, so I said, ‘Hell yes, I’m in.’ It’s really a big deal for me. I feel extremely honored to be here in my hometown. How could I turn it down?”
Stapleton and Kotsur’s joint performance will always be a highlight of the NFL’s biggest night.
