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Jim Cornelison helped give the NFC divisional game between the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams a big-game feel with his rendition of the U.S. national anthem on Sunday.
Cornelison sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” to a sold-out crowd at Soldier Field. NFL fans and players joined in and sang the anthem with Cornelison.
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Jim Cornelison performs the national anthem before the start of the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft at the United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
NFL fans who followed the game on social media praised Cornelison for his performance.
This isn’t the first time Cornelison has left a mark on NFL fans this season. He received a round of applause in September when he performed the anthem before the Bears played the Minnesota Vikings. It was the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season.
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Chicago Bears’ DJ Moore takes the field before an NFL Football Divisional Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo)
The 61-year-old is a regular at Chicago sporting events. He has sung the Bears’ national anthem since 2010. He has taken the ice for Chicago Blackhawks games since 2008 and has sung “Back Home Again in Indiana” before the Indianapolis 500 since 2017.
Cornelison is just as popular outside of sports. He was part of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists in Chicago and sang in some of the world’s most popular operas.
He is also a board member of the Illinois Patriot Education Fund and an honorary squad commander of the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford practices before an NFL Football Divisional Playoff game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)
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The winner of the Bears-Rams game will earn a spot in the NFC Championship Game next weekend.
