Before becoming a global superstar and a 14-time Grammy winner, Taylor Swift was a teenage artist promoting herself by singing the national anthem wherever she could, especially at sporting events like NASCAR races and the World Series. At the time, she didn’t have the kind of professional security team that surrounds her today. That’s why, as her popularity began to grow, her father, Scott Swift, turned to former Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Jasen Esposito for help.

“Taylor’s starting to build some momentum, gaining popularity, they’re kind of going through the whole deal, and he (Scott Swift) calls me up, and he asks me what I was doing Saturday afternoon,” Esposito revealed on the Ross Tucker Podcast. “I’m like, ‘I’m free, what’s going on?’ ‘Oh well, I’m gonna need you to stand by Taylor for an autograph signing hour before her deal. It was some local country music station; they had a fair.

“So, I went up there for the day, literally just stood next to Taylor the whole time. I guess someone tried to hug her or something before they needed, you know, she wanted a big, intimidating guy there. So Scott thought of me right away. And yeah, I mean, her first tour bus was there. I think it’s like on showcase somewhere at some Hall of Fame, like the first tour bus she ever had was hanging out on there. She performed some of her songs.”

Esposito stood 6-foot-4 and weighed more than 300 pounds, making him exactly the kind of presence Scott Swift was looking for. Swift grew up in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, while her father remained heavily involved in helping her early career. Scott would submit demo tapes, arrange appearances, and coordinate performances throughout Pennsylvania. It was in June 2006 when Swift released her debut album, “Tim McGraw.” She embarked on an extensive radio tour to promote herself and her album.

She visited local country stations around the country, performed at fairs, and signed autographs as an up-and-coming artist trying to build an audience. Swift started her journey by performing the national anthem, with a guitar in her hand, to gain traction.

“When I was 11 years old, it occurred to me that the national anthem was the best way to get in front of a large group of people if you don’t have a record deal,” she admitted. “So I started singing the national anthem anywhere I possibly could.”

She went on to perform before Game 3 of the 2008 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays in front of more than 45,000 fans. That same night, Tim McGraw delivered the game ball, a fitting coincidence given that his name also served as the title of Swift’s debut single.

By the time Taylor Swift released her second studio album, Fearless, in 2008, her popularity was already on the rise, and she soon embarked on her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour. Yet she continued performing “Tim McGraw” during several of her tours and would often hold autograph signings afterward. Given the growing crowds around her, it’s easy to see why Scott Swift asked Jasen Esposito to serve as Taylor’s first bodyguard early in her career.