Morgan Wallen's surprise show rocked Gibbs High School – one big clue all but gave it away

Gibbs High School principal Jason Webster spent three weeks keeping a secret.

A very telling hint all but gave that secret away.

"You don't normally have a stage on your baseball field two weeks before your first home baseball game," Webster told Knox News.

Country music star Morgan Wallen's special pop-up concert at Gibbs High School was a homecoming in more ways than one.

Wallen graduated from Gibbs in 2011, and that baseball field was where he was the starting shortstop for the Eagles during their 2010 AA state championship run.

Wallen performed for Gibbs High School seniors March 2 to celebrate the release of his new album "One Thing At A Time," which debuts March 3.

Gibbs head baseball coach Geff Davis, who was Wallen's coach in high school, said it's special – but not surprising – that the star came back on the eve of his album release.

"To come back here and do this for a bunch of kids, when he could have done it, my gosh, at any arena in the country or world and made made a ton of money off of it." Davis said. "He didn't have to do this, and for him to do it, I think says a lot about Morgan's heart."

The worst-kept secret at Gibbs High School

The 40-by-40-foot stage signaled a concert was coming, it was just a matter of who was coming: Wallen or country music star Kenny Chesney, another Gibbs graduate.

With Wallen's album release, Webster said the students put two and two together.

"These kids that know exactly who he is," Webster said.

Webster called all the seniors together Thursday morning so he and Wallen could share the news.

It's a thrilling memory for the Gibbs class of 2023, which has dealt with COVID-19 restrictions and didn't get home football games this year because of construction.

"The bookend of their high school career has been kind of been pulled one way or another," Webster said. "So to be able to announce this today and give them something that is a completely unique and special experience, it probably made all that other stuff OK."

Morgan Wallen's injury that was a blessing in disguise

While millions know Wallen as a talented artist, Davis said he was a talented baseball player who would do anything to win.

"You didn't have to worry about starting his engine ... because it was started up from the get go," Davis said.

Davis said Wallen was talented enough to play at the collegiate level, but an injury derailed his baseball career.

Davis remembers watching Wallen throw while warming up for the second inning of a game for a tournament in Jefferson City. Then the coach heard a pop. It's a sound he said all coaches know instantly, but he didn't want to believe it.

Wallen tore his UCL, a ligament in the elbow that essentially makes it impossible to throw.

Davis said that may have been the greatest moment of Wallen's life, allowing him to focus entirely on music.

Even if Wallen hadn't gotten hurt, Davis said it wouldn't have mattered.

"I'd be talking to you five years from now, because it would have backed his career up five years."

Morgan Wallen still has an impact on Gibbs

The concert isn't the first time Wallen has come back to give Gibbs students a boost.

While the Eagles were down 3-1 in the sixth inning of the 2021 state tournament, Wallen popped his head into the dugout to fire up the team, who didn't know he was there watching.

Davis doesn't remember exactly what Wallen said, but the Eagles came back to win that game 4-3 and went on to win the state title against Pigeon Forge.

"I think I did a great job of getting them up and coming back and winning," Davis laughed. "But the bottom line is, if he didn't do that, I think we're done."

To show his appreciation for the pep talk, Davis surprised Wallen with a championship ring from that season.

Silas Sloan covers growth and development in East Tennessee for Knox News. He can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow his work on Twitter @silasloan, or on Instagram @knox.growth. and sign up for the free, weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter. Unlock premium perks and support strong local journalism at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Morgan Wallen concert at Gibbs High School was special for seniors