A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he is the son of a Baptist minister; his interest in music started at an early age. He was a member of the Atlanta Boy Choir and attended the Northside School for the Performing Arts (now North Atlanta High School) where he excelled in both sports and music. In addition to playing on the football team, he was a member of the all-city band and all-state chorus as well as the first student in school history allowed to participate in both Chorus and Band. His desire to play college football resulted in accepting a scholarship to play for The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina where he was a three-time 1-AA All American offensive lineman, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in English. He became famous as "The Singing Knob" for his impromptu serenades for fellow cadets and for his performance of "O Holy Night" at the annual Christmas candlelight concert. He also co-founded and sang in the school's gospel chorus. His talent was featured in "Sports Illustrated" and on CBS Sports "College Football Today". In 1991 he was invited to sing the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina. After graduation he accepted a position with the 3M company as a regional sales representative in the Washington D.C. area. En route to a sales conference in California he met his future wife Denise Wright, an airline flight attendant. He is a member of the Beta Mu chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.