After making a name for himself as a standout linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2005 to 2008, he was on the verge of becoming an NFL player.

"I played under Butch Davis, John Bunting and Chuck Pagano, who's now the head coach of the [Indianapolis] Colts, so I still stay in touch with all those guys," Rice told Radio.com. "Football would've been my life, if I wouldn't have got hurt. The NFL was a very, very attainable goal. Then I ended up getting hurt, and that's when I started writing songs and haven't looked back since."

Indeed, Rice has quickly risen up the ranks of country music's elite with three full-length albums under his belt-including the recently released Ignite the Night-and a co-writing credit on Florida Georgia Line's smash hit "Cruise."

While Chase proclaimed that he's "always going to be a Tar Heel," the Florida native grew up a dedicated fan of the Gators, the University of Florida's football team, which was something of a family tradition.

"The NFL is great, I'll watch it, but college football is my thing," he admits. "The Florida Gators was my team growing up. My dad's best friend was a running back for them back in the day. The Gators were life down in Daytona Beach, Florida, and that was where I grew up."