PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When a 6-foot-8 offensive lineman spontaneously asks to sing with your band at the local pub, the only answer is yes.
It started as an ordinary performance for bandmates Evan Emerle and Bobby Leonhardt, who play and sing across the region under the moniker Code_Emo. They had a set Friday night at the Green Parrot in Newtown, Bucks County, and among the crowd was no other than Philadelphia Eagle Jordan Mailata.
In addition to his skills on the field, Mailata is also known for his singing chops. He competed on Fox’s “Masked Singer” in 2022 and has recorded songs on Jason Kelce’s Eagles Christmas albums.
Near the end of Code_Emo’s set, they were approached with a request.
“And they said, ‘Hey, Jordan wants to come up and sing with you guys, would you be OK with that?’” Emerle said. “There’s only one answer to that question. So we’re like, absolutely, that would be fantastic. And then within seconds, there’s a 6-foot-8 offensive lineman in front of me with a big smile on his face.”
Mailata sang Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” with them.
After that, Mailata suggested another one: “He’s making a joke after the song ends and he’s like, ‘All right, for our next song, we’re going to do All the Small Things by Blink-182.’ And, you know, Bobby and I know that song like the back of our hands,” Emerle said.
So, Leonhardt immediately started to play it.
“I just went right into it ’cause I wanted to keep him up there,” said Leonhardt. “I didn’t want him to leave. So I just went right into the song to see if he wanted to stick around, and he did. It was a good time.”
Leonhardt said he and Emerle have been playing together for nearly eight years, and this moment was one of their best.
“I think [we] are going to be wearing No. 68 for the rest of our lives now,” he said. “It was just a great time.”
“He immediately commands the audience,” Emerle added. “He’s just a natural stage presence, everything. And his vocals speak for themselves.”
Code_Emo has three upcoming performances in South Jersey, though there’s no word yet on whether any professional athletes will join them on stage.