The NFL has nothing on Dancing With the Stars — just ask Danny Amendola.
“My joints are so much more sore. We’re playing on grass, so it’s a little softer. The hardwood is, like, I’m icing up,” Amendola, 38, told Us Weekly exclusively following the Dancing With the Stars season 33 premiere on Tuesday, September 17. “I’m definitely feeling the age at this point. But it’s fun to get out there, sweat and have fun.”
The former NFL star admitted dancing is “definitely different” than playing professional football. (Amendola was a wide receiver, playing for various teams in the NFL throughout his career. Most notably, he was on the New England Patriots from 2013 to 2017. The athlete played for the Houston Texans prior to his retirement in 2022.)
“I usually run a lot of routes, which is good,” he told Us. “It set me up to have good cardio in this.”
For his DWTS debut, Amendola and professional partner Witney Carson danced a Tango to “A Bar Song (Tipsy) [Remix]” by Shaboozey and David Guetta. The duo received a score of 20 out of 30.
“She’s a boss. I have plenty of room for improvement,” Amendola said of their first performance, praising Carson, 30. “We’re going to try to get better next week.”
Amendola’s mom, Rose, was in the crowd on Monday, and the retired athlete told Us that “it was special” to have her support.
“She’d come to a lot of my games when I was playing ball. We haven’t been able to do anything fun like this in three or four years,” he shared. “It was great to have her in the building. She loves to watch Witney dance, and she’s a huge fan of the show. It was good to have her here.”
Carson, for her part, was making her return to the DWTS stage after a one-year hiatus from the show. (She last competed with Wayne Brady as her partner during season 31 in 2022.)
“It feels so good [to be back]. It feels amazing,” she gushed to Us. “This is where I belong. This is my passion and something I’ve done for years and years and years. So, to be back with Danny — especially as my partner — has been really special so far.”
Carson previously said that she didn’t want to move husband Carson McAllister and their two kids — Leo, 3, and Jet, 16 months — across the country. However, they’ve since made the trip.
“I definitely couldn’t do it without them. They’re my No. 1 supporters. My kids are everything to me,” she said. “It means everything to me that they can be out here. We all just made this decision together, and we knew it was right. It means the world.”
Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. You can stream episodes on Disney+ the next day.
Reporting by Carly Konsker
