Eldredge has become a common name in Nashville, but the singer's roots trace back to the small town of Paris, Illinois, where he grew up as a big-time sports fan, devoted to all things Chicago. "I grew up a huge Bears fan, a huge Cubs fan, a huge Bulls fan," he told Radio.com during a recent interview.

"My dad's a [Green Bay] Packers fan. There would always be this little rivalry between all of us," he continued regarding the storied NFL franchises. "Our whole family is Bears fans but my dad, because he liked Bart Starr, quarterback for the Packers back in the day."

That personal family rivalry serendipitously led to a special father-son moment between Eldredge and his dad back in 2011. "The first time I got to sing the National Anthem in a big stadium was the Bears-Packers [game] at Lambeau Field," he explained. "So I got to bring [my dad] on the field, we got to stand there as the kickoff went, he got to stand on the field when no one was in there and we were the only ones, and I'm singing. That was a really cool moment. I still don't like the Packers that much, but I respect them because of my dad, and I respect them because they're a great team. But go Bears all the way."

While his beloved Bears were knocked out of playoff contention this season by those very same Packers, Eldredge still dreams of the day his team is able to find its way to one of the world's biggest sporting spectacles. "I wanna go to a Super Bowl. I want it to be the Bears, and I want them to win it, and I want to go," he laughed. "I'm waiting for that moment."

Since the Bears are out of the mix, Eldredge is pointing towards the NFL's most obvious choice for MVP this year, Peyton Manning, to lead the Denver Broncos to the big game in February. "I think the Broncos are going to be the team to beat this year. I always root for Peyton Manning, because I just think he's a machine. He's just so brilliant," Eldredge said. "I grew up next to Indianapolis, so my second team was always the Colts. That city loved him, and for him to leave and go to this new team after this injury and come back. I'm rooting for him."