Aaron Tippin Still Laughs About When Toby Keith Broke His Ankle

Aaron Tippin was great friends with Toby Keith, so much so that when I asked him for a Keith story, he lit up like a kid on Christmas and he could not wait to tell.

Tippin was on Taste of Country Nights when he recalled the epic Keith tale.

“Me and Tobe [Toby] worked together quite a bit. We were in Tulsa, where he went to college, and he decided he was going to dress out with the football team, and so he did.”

Apparently, in Keith’s head, he still was as good once as he ever was, so he told the team not to go easy on him.

Tippin says the next part while laughing hysterically.

“He practiced with them and he got his leg broken. He missed the show that night; then for the rest of the tour, he was sitting on an old stool.”

Tippin says Keith “broke his leg” — ankle, technically — but either way, he wasn’t standing onstage that night.

According to Tippin, Keith “had just jumped right in the middle of it and forgot he had gained a few years.”

What Did Toby Keith Say When He Broke His Ankle?

According to a 1994 article from the Chicago Tribune, at the time of the incident, Keith said that if he had to break his ankle again playing in a University of Oklahoma scrimmage, he would.

The “Red Solo Cup” legend said at the time, “It’s been a fantasy for me to suit up with the Big Red and play with the great alumni,” adding that the injury gave him a “much-needed rest” from his heavy roadshow work.

READ MORE: Here’s What Toby Keith Once Said About the Country Music Hall of Fame

When Did Toby Keith Die?

Toby Keith died on Feb.5, 2024, after a battle with cancer. He was 62 years old.

Want more Toby? Take a look at his best songs in the pictures below.