“That’s gangster,” Diehl said.

Andrews laughed. Diehl’s ear must have been mistaken.

Andrews has an eclectic taste, but he was never really into gangsta rap, like his older brother, Stacy, an offensive guard with the Seattle Seahawks. Their mother preferred soulful singers like Johnnie Taylor and Al Green, but Shawn Andrews did not relate as much to the artists of yesteryear.

Still, Andrews loved music at an early age. Starting in kindergarten, he was the student who drove teachers to distraction with his incessant tapping on his desk. Until his sophomore year at Camden Fairview High in Arkansas  when he opted to focus on football instead  Andrews was the largest tuba player and drummer in the school’s band.

Andrews is not bashful about spreading his musical cheer. In the Giants’ locker room, his falsetto can be heard imitating the hip-hop artist Drake. On the way to the cafeteria, the 330-pound Andrews swaps lyrics for food references, his mind never far from his next meal. To put his own twist on a Cher hit, for example, Andrews cooed about getting a second helping, “Do you believe in grub after grub?”

But Andrews’s whimsical flair brought criticism when he played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

While recovering from his back injury before the 2009 season, Andrews posted a video of one of his songs, “Gettin’ My Michael Phelps On,” on YouTube. Andrews said the video, which he has since removed from the site, was intended to be playful, but it prompted fans and commentators in Philadelphia to question his dedication.

“Play some football instead of playing all these things on YouTube,” Howard Eskin, a sports-talk radio host at WIP in Philadelphia, said by telephone. “Shawn is actually a good guy, but the people here believe, and I believe, he never wanted to play football. He likes the paychecks, but he doesn’t like to play football.”

But Andrews said he was just as dedicated to his music while he was healthy. And when he was healthy, Andrews was a force at guard. Drafted by the Eagles in the first round in 2004, Andrews was a two-time Pro Bowl guard in Philadelphia before being released in March. He would often drive to his home in southern New Jersey, which was outfitted with a studio, after practices and work on his music for hours.