Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Blake Proehl is going all-in on his music career ... and he's so serious about the new endeavor, he tells TMZ Sports he'd take a Grammy over a Super Bowl win!! The 25-year-old blew the "American Idol" judges away during his audition on the 22nd season of the singing show ... even bringing Katy Perry to tears as he earned a golden ticket to Hollywood. Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. We caught up with Proehl fresh off the emotional performance ... and he said it's still hard to wrap his head around the fact it actually happened, but he hopes his journey inspires others to follow their dreams -- even if they lack experience or confidence in taking a leap of faith. Of course, Proehl spent a few years in the NFL ... but he fell back in love with music when he was sidelined following an injury in 2021. The time away from the field led to his decision to leave football in the past -- despite having opportunities to continue his career -- and now, it's full steam ahead in entertainment. Proehl explained he understands the risk of switching professions -- especially considering it's rare to make it big in music -- but all that mattered was that he was doing what he loved. Proehl added his old self would be shocked to see how everything changed so quickly ... but he wouldn't change a thing.
