Country Music Star Donates to School's NIL Fund After 'Awkward' Appearance

East Tennessee State's NIL fund received a boost in funding after an "awkward" appearance from a country music star.

Darius Rucker performs for a sold-out crowd during The Flamingo Jam, an annual hometown concert benefiting the Jake Owen Foundation on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, at the Corporate Air Hanger at the Vero Beach Regional Airport. / KAILA JONES/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK

Just because they are celebrities, it does not mean that they are not prone to their own awkward moments every now and then. Country music star Darius Rucker found himself in one such moment over the weekend, while attending an East Tennessee State Buccaneers football game, and has made a donation to their NIL fund to make up for it.

Rucker's cover of the song "Wagon Wheel" is a staple across the nation, with many having it as their go-to in karaoke bars far and wide. It is also used across sports during timeouts and other stoppages, and the Bucaneers play the song for Rucker's mention of Johnson City, Tennessee, the county in which they are located.

With the star in attendance, East Tennessee athletic director Richard Sander believed that Rucker would be able to perform the song between the third and fourth quarter. Rucker's management team, however, did not want the star to perform, with the school learning as much the day before the game, though they still had Rucker walk onto the field while the song played over the loudspeakers.

Hootie waved to the crowd while the song played, later admitting on X (formerly Twitter) that the experience was "awkward," and said that he would donate $2,980 to the Buccaneer's NIL fund.

"$10 for every second I stood at midfield during ‘Wagon Wheel’ thinking it was as awkward as y’all did," Rucker tweeted while adding a laughing emoji.

East Tennessee would go on to win their contest against the Western Carolina Catamounts 24-21, moving to 6-4 on the year.