Ever heard of a racer going crazy about a football game? Well, it is not impossible, but the instances can be rare. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of those rarities—bringing a unique crossover of NASCAR and college football that we never expected. The veteran driver is a 26-time Cup Series driver, broadcaster, successful teamer, and podcast host. Additionally, Dale Jr is also a video game enthusiast. Surprised?

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s gaming obsession is nothing new—it is a thing that started back in the mid-90s. From upgrading hardware to building his own PC, he liked to get into the technical nitty-gritty. But elaborately planning his virtual football championship? – That is what amazed an NFL legend.

Dale Earnhardt Jr reveals his blueprint for success

Will Compton, an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League, recently met with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Compton also played college football at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln—and that is where he struck a chord with Dale Jr. Taylor Lewan, a former professional football tackle in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans and a college football player for the Michigan Wolverines, was also present to witness this golden crossover. What is more, they broached the topic of how Dale Jr carved out a spectacular way to clinch his very own college football title—on EA Sports College Football 25.

In a recent ‘Bussin’ With The Boys’ video, the NASCAR Hall of Famer appeared to share his insights. Will Compton immediately expressed his awe and wonder at Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s recent achievement. “So Dale Earnhardt Jr is the most recent national champion, college football coach in his league.” Then Dale Jr proceeded to show a winning souvenir and explained his methods. “I don’t know if everybody can see this but this is my gift from Charlotte – the 49ers UNCC. I started as a one-star in Charlotte and recruited them up to a four-and-a-half star and beat Michigan, who’s a buddy of mine. He was the best man at my wedding – TJ Majors…Well, I recruited, I worked hard.”

Amidst the hard work, Dale Earnhardt Jr had a meticulous strategy as well. He made his own spreadsheets to analyze the game accurately. “This is my iPad – my own personal iPad. So I have a spreadsheet on my dynasty – this is my offense…Red is seniors, juniors – you know, it’s color-coded. So that is my depth chart – this is my playbook. These are all run plays, these are pass plays, RPOs, screens. I will then rank them in their ability to gain yards. And then I will customize my playbook.” This left Compton gaping in wonder: “Confirmed college football sicko.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s obsession with virtual college football certainly made an impact. However, he also enlightened the football legends about his views on NASCAR’s current state.

Rolling out a strong opinion

We all remember how the first two races of 2025 happened. The Cup Series and the Xfinity Series witnessed a slew of controversies at Daytona and Atlanta due to ill-timed green-white-checkered flags. Despite a massive wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500, NASCAR officials did not wave the yellow flag for caution. Then, on the last lap of the Xfinity Series race in Atlanta, a few cars in the top ten and a few behind them crashed. Despite an unstable situation, NASCAR let the race continue under green as Austin Hill beat Justin Allgaier for the win. This inconsistent trend in racing rules has continued from last year—notably the DVP rule, which annoyed drivers in Kansas and Talladega. So, Dale Earnhardt Jr could not help but talk about this pressing issue even in his time with NFL players.

Will Compton asked Dale Jr if he would like to see a NASCAR rule change. The initial one-word response should have been enough to show the emotion: “S—.” Then Dale Jr continued, “I’d probably work on the rules that affect how the cars race…So we go to the Daytona 500 and the cars, the way the race is sort of… the way you watch the race, some of the details of how the cars race and why they do some of the things they do… it’s not as great as it used to be. It could be better than what it is today. I don’t know the answer to the specific, technical thing that needs to change, but I would love to be in the process of how we can make the cars do different than how they do there and how they race together.”

Evidently, Dale Earnhardt Jr was juggling both college football and NASCAR in his mind. Let us see what championships he can achieve next—either virtually or on the racetrack.