One of his songs can up on Spotify shuffle the other day and it was a banger. Here's some info on him. Antone Exum Jr. (stage name EXUM), a former NFL safety who played for the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, transitioned into music after injuries shortened his football career. His NFL playing days effectively ended around 2016–2019 due to injuries (including a notable 2016 season-ending one with the Vikings). He had always been into music as a hobby—writing lyrics since his teens—but ramped it up seriously during rehab time. He collaborated remotely with Norwegian producer Erik Samkopf (starting ~2018), blending hip-hop, surreal/dream pop, experimental rap, indie rock, electronic/R&B, and other eclectic styles. His music is often called "surreal pop" or genre-bending. Key Milestones in His Music CareerHe released his debut album Xardinal Coffee in June 2021 (9 tracks, including singles like "Dark Kept Secret" and "Arrest The Dancer"). It got coverage in outlets like The Guardian, Dazed, The New York Times/The Athletic, and Andscape. He toured in support of it, opening for artists like Alex G (2021) and Dehd (2022), and played shows like SXSW. Around 2020 (while finishing the album), he had a serious health scare during a routine heart procedure for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome—he flatlined on the table but was revived. He described it as a spiritual/confirming experience that reinforced his path into music. Since then, his music career has continued steadily but quietly/independently—he's remained active as an artist without massive mainstream breakthrough or major-label hype. He keeps releasing music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp under the EXUM moniker:2022: Tickle Pink Hotel 2023: 27 Planets (plus singles like "Changes") 2024: Album hole (with a shift toward eerie outsider folk on tracks like "All My Days") 2025: Album In Russia. A is a 9 (released around June), plus singles like "Losing Focus," "Thinking about you," and "Rather be with you" He has an active presence on Instagram (@exumgod ) and X (@exumgod ), where he shares releases, and he still experiments with sounds, visuals, and themes (his work often feels introspective, trippy, or theatrical).Nothing dramatic like a retirement, scandal, or "disappearance" happened—he's just been consistently putting out music at his own pace as an indie artist, evolving stylistically while staying out of the NFL spotlight. His output has been regular (multiple projects since the debut), though not at the level of constant touring or viral fame. As of 2025–2026, new material (including the 2025 album) is still dropping, and he's described himself in artistic terms like "in my world I’m already a massively iconic artist.