Until today, I had no idea that New York Giants tight end Darren Waller had a family member who was a famous musician. But when an NFL players releases an R&B track with more autotune than T-Pain would've ever thought to use, you start doing some digging. And as the old saying goes, you learn something new every day.
It turns out, Darren Waller is the great-grandson of Fats Waller, a jazz musician with over 400 compositions to his credit. Fats Waller died in 1943 at the age of 39, but was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Even though Fats Waller's great-grandson missed him by five decades, that wasn't going to stop Darren Waller from keeping the family business of music alive. And as is so often the case, it's heartbreak that inspired Waller to write and perform a song titled “Who Knew (Her Perspective)” which is a direct response to his ongoing divorce with Las Vegas Aces guard and two-time WNBA champion, Kelsey Plum.
Speaking about the song and accompanying music video, Darren Waller told TMZ that the song was, “an attempt to see things from the woman's perspective,” and noted, “the video is an extension of that, ending with me being alone and wondering why they wounded me and left me there.”
The New York Giants tight end would go on to speak more directly about what he's gone through over the course of his life, how his failed relationship with Kelsey Plum impacted him, and what he was going through when putting the song together.
“I’ve struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships my whole life, and I recognize the toll it has taken on the lovers I’ve been close to. Essentially, I’m telling myself, from the damage I’ve done, that it’s imperative for me to heal the wounds in my life I’ve been avoiding by seeking relationships.”
Waller, who has a long-documented history of substance abuse issues that could've very well derailed his NFL career from beginning in the first place, is now coming up on eight years sober, a tremendous accomplishment that he should be applauded for even more so than his accomplishments on the gridiron or in the recording studio. But Waller's status with the New York Giants for the 2024 NFL season remains unclear.
So, what about the New York Giants?
As of late-April, the 31-year-old Waller, who has three years left on his deal with the New York Giants, was still undecided as to whether his NFL career was over, or if he'd be coming back for another season in New York. He indicated that the decision has nothing to do with the state of the Giants roster. With or without Darren Waller, the New York Giants are expected to be among the worst teams in the league, with both a quarterback (Daniel Jones) and head coach (Brian Daboll) who are on the hot seat.
One would have to assume the decision would be based on Waller's mental and physical health. It's not fair to speculate on where Darren Waller's head is at during a time of such turmoil like this one. But it is easy to look at the Waller's Pro Football Reference page and note that he's missed 19 games the last three seasons due to a variety of injuries.
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