Reviewed by: Liv George
UA diver takes on different stage to sing national anthem at Final Four
Being in front of a crowd has never been an issue for Paul Mathews. He has sang in front of people plenty of times including performances at Carnegie Hall and the College World Series. Plus he just wrapped up his freshman season as a member of the University of Alabama swimming and diving team so stage fright is almost certainly not an issue.
But last weekend, Mathews had the chance to do something even more special. And he was going to do it in front of the biggest audience he’s ever had.
Mathews was chosen to represent the Crimson Tide as a part of a team to sing the Star-Spangled Banner before the first NCAA Men’s Final Four game tipped off in Arizona on Saturday night.
“It meant so much. Kind of goes back to the SEC motto ‘it just means more’… If I didn’t choose Alabama and bring my athletic talents and my music talents to Alabama, nobody would know to pick me. To be a part of the team’s first Final Four was absolutely amazing.”
~ Alabama diver Paul Mathews
All four participating schools had a representative and they were backed by singers from Arizona State, the host school. You can watch the performance below.
How Mathews got to Arizona
Mathews was just like most Alabama fans through the NCAA Tournament games. He was stressing as a fan through the first two rounds but before the Sweet 16 matchup with North Carolina, he got a call that made things more interesting.
When the NCAA was preparing for the Final Four, they made sure each remaining school had a representative willing to sing the national anthem if their team made it to Arizona. Mathews did not hesitate, accepting the offer before watching Alabama’s next two games even more closely.
After wins over UNC and Clemson, Mathews finally got to let the news go public: he was heading to the Final Four.
“It was a lot more stressful in the first place because I wasn’t just watching basketball, I was watching my friends… They had an amazing run. Then when you add the national anthem thing on the line, it made it even bigger. I wanted to see them succeed but I also really wanted to take advantage of that opportunity too. It was pretty stressful.”
~ Mathews on watching Alabama’s tournament run
Representing the Crimson Tide
Mathews said it was a business trip for himself but when he wasn’t preparing to sing the national anthem, he got to enjoy his first ever trip to Arizona. He stayed through the national championship game Monday night, watching UConn win its second consecutive national championship.
He spoke highly of all the people he got to meet in Arizona including the NCAA support staff. Mathews got to spend time with friends throughout the weekend and also got to meet Charles Barkley. And while meeting the Auburn legend was a highlight of the trip, getting to wear crimson in front of 70,000 people in the stadium, plus millions more watching at home, could not be topped.
“It was absolutely amazing to wear the script A. Usually when I’m wearing the script A, it’s a small piece of fabric around my waste. Being able to wear a polo and belt out loud, this is what we do at Alabama. We are most than just athletes, we are more than just performers, we’re people that love to share our talents with the world. The whole experience is something I will never ever forget.”
~ Mathews on getting to represent the University of Alabama
Do you like seeing good news like this from around the state? Subscribe to our newsletter for FREE!
