Famous rapper Toosii training to play college football, has first visit set this weekend

Nau’Jour Grainger, better known as multi-platinum hip-hop artist Toosii, has put a bountiful music career on hold in an attempt to play college football.

Grainger made his plans known this summer and has been training frequently in Raleigh at NC State. As he looks to break into a Division I program next season, he’s got his first game visit set.

Grainger, 25, tells Rivals’ Adam Gorney that he will be in College Park this weekend to visit Maryland for its season-opening game against Florida Atlantic.

“I’m chasing history. First multi-platinum recording artist to go back to school and play DIVISION I football. Next year I’m gonna be on somebody’s team mark my words!,” he wrote in an Aug. 18 post on X that showed him catching passes at the NC State practice facility.

Grainger’s attempt to transition from the stage to the gridiron has caught the attention of many, including star Houston Texans safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, as well as former star NFL receiver and new Delaware State head coach DeSean Jackson.

Grainger played high school football at Rolesville High in Raleigh. He originally hails from Syracuse, N.Y., but moved to North Carolina as a young teenager where he began his rap career. He currently has 3.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify and even released a new single ‘Even Then’ last month.

This story will be updated.