It is a pleasure to welcome former NFL player turned musician Joe Barksdale to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

He began playing football in high school at Detroit’s Cass Technical, where he received national recognition from Parade and USA Today. Joe Barksdale continued to compete in football, while he played on the Louisiana State University Tigers. After college, he entered the 2011 NFL Draft, and the Oakland Raiders recruited him to be an Offensive Tackle. From 2012 to 2018, Joe played for St. Louis Rams, the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, and the Arizona Cardinals.

However, in 2018, Joe Barksdale hung up his cleats and walked away from the National Football League. He decided to pursue a career in the recording industry. In 2013, Joe decided to pick up a guitar after experiencing a tragic loss. The guitar not only healed him, but it also allowed him to play with some of St. Louis’ best musicians.

In 2017, Joe announced his first musical project: Butterflies, Rainbows, & Moonbeams. Two years later, he released Electric Soul, produced by Grammy award-winning producer Narada Michael-Walden (Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, and the late Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston).

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Joe Barksdale talked about his career in the NFL and his latest single: “Moonbeam.” He also previewed his first studio album: Sincerely, which is expected to drop on September 5.