The story of Paul Wane, who shredded the Jaguars-Titans national anthem
NFL games have pregame national anthems both expected and unexpected. Given that Saturday’s game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans had the Star-Spangled Banner performed by a dude is in Duval County, it makes sense that the dude shredding the anthem on an American flag Telecaster-style guitar looked as Florida Man as possible.
They really got a guy who looks like he jobbed to Arn Anderson on a 1995 episode of WCW Saturday Night to shred the national anthem.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are truly America’s team. pic.twitter.com/BM8z04Z0pJ
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) January 8, 2023
But there’s more to Paul Wane, the shredder in question, than his resemblance to Lawrence in “Office Space.” Wane has a band called the Duval County Line (of course), and he operates a foundation called “Guitars 4 Kids.”
“We gave an instrument to a young man, and it turns out his father works security here at the stadium,” Wane recently said. “He got to talking to some of his co-workers about it, and they invited me to do this.”
The foundation has gifted somewhere between 200-300 guitars to local children over the last couple of years.
“I remember what it felt like, you know, to know it was my guitar,” Wane told Ashley Harding of News4Jax.com. “And no one’s going to have it, it’s mine. To see that look on their face and to know they can’t wait to get it home.”
As for his big moment, Wane knew beforehand that his family would be with him — in person and in sprit.
“My mother will be standing there. Unfortunately, my father is not here to see. I wish he could, but he’s watching,” Wane said. “My uncle, he gave me my first guitar, he’s going to be standing there.”
If you would like to learn more about the Guitars 4 Kids program, you can visit Paul Wane Music to do so.
