Before Lee Brice attempted to find success as a country music singer, he had big aspirations of being a professional football player — a dream that almost came true. Lee earned a scholarship to play football at Clemson University, until an elbow injury permanently derailed any hopes of a career in sports.

Instead, he switched his focus to country music, applying the same hard work ethic he did on the football field and not only writing for himself, but also for artists like Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw.

“I turned my music career into how I played football, treating it like two-a-day practices,”Lee told ESPN. “I was always working.”

Once Lee decided to pursue music instead of sports, he never looked back.

“I made a life decision,” Lee says. “I moved. I wasn’t going to Nashville thinking I’m going to make it in the music industry by tomorrow. So I worked very hard. There was no turning back for me.”

Lee’s current single, “Memory I Don’t Mess With,” is in the top five.

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