‘America’s Got Talent’ alum Jackie Evancho performs National Anthem at Lions – Packers game

Today in Detroit, the NFL kicked off the first of what is going to be a triple-header of football on Thanksgiving Day, as the Lions ended up squaring off against the Green Bay Packers. But before the game even began, there was an opportunity to hear a performance of the National Anthem from someone who already has a little bit of a career in reality TV: Jackie Evancho.

Evancho of course was first known for her role as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” where she road an amazing voice all the way to the finals on her season. Since that point, she has released a number of successful albums and songs, mostly highlighting the fact that she is an incredible singer despite still being very young. She’s got a voice, after all, that could fill any orchestra hall across the country.

While we know that it is very easy to sit here and make snide remarks about someone when they blow part of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” (which she didn’t) we also have to give credit where credit’s due: This was a great performance. This is also the first time that many have probably seen the now-13-year old singer in a while, and it was so good exposure to get her back in the spotlight a little bit. She also received an enthusiastic response from the crowd, which is not always a given at such events. Football fans can be pretty harsh sometimes, especially if they are in a bad mood or if their team is losing.

The National Anthem is of course a tradition before every NFL game, but it tends to draw so much more attention on Thanksgiving simply due to the fact that these games are thrust onto a national stage.

What did you think about Jackie’s National Anthem performance? Share some of your thoughts below! We’re going to have a video of the performance here soon enough, so be sure to come back soon for that.

Photo: NBC