Tucker Wetmore Had Very Different Plans Before Country Music

Tucker Wetmore has steadily gained traction since stepping onto the country music scene, which will culminate with the release of his debut album, “What Not To,” on April 25, 2025. However, the singer-songwriter was once on a completely different life path.

In May 2024, the artist told People magazine his original intentions for his future: finding his way into the NFL. “My plan was just to go to college and play as much ball as I could and then hopefully make it in the draft at some point,” Wetmore said. Luckily for his growing fan base, the Washington native has since traded football gear for a six-string.

A Football Field Injury Inspired a Change in Life Path

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As Wetmore explained to People, playing football in college didn’t go quite as planned, and he eventually hit a breaking point. “I knew in my gut that I wasn’t on the right path,” Wetmore shared. “I just needed a sign whether to stay or go.” As luck would have it, an incident on the football field made that decision much easier for the then-college student. Young Wetmore broke his leg, which he took as a sign to move on from football.

Since moving to Nashville in 2020, the singer has found himself on the Billboard 100 chart with his first hit single, “Wine Into Whiskey.” As Billboard shared, the song, along with Wetmore’s other early hit, “Wind Up Missing You,” has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

Wetmore Got His First ACM Nod in 2025

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Earning award nominations is a major milestone in many musicians’ careers, and Wetmore hit one such milestone when the ACM released its list of nominees in March 2025. The singer received a Best New Male Artist nod.

After receiving the news, Wetmore took to Instagram with a celebratory post. He shared a throwback photo of himself with the caption: “This kid just got his first ACM nomination and let me tell ya….he would be damn proud.”

In speaking with The Tennessean, Wetmore described his reaction to the nomination. “It makes me emotional because I love being an artist more than I love anything I’ve ever been competitive at,” Wetmore said. “Receiving the nomination validates how I’ve been feeling lately, as if I should’ve been a musician all along.”

The singer has some stiff competition going into the ACM Awards’ 60th anniversary. According to the organization’s official website, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Bailey Zimmerman and Gavin Adcock are all in the running for the 2025 honor.