Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew was in his element late Friday morning, relaxing in a leather chair, trash talking on a headset and playing his beloved video games.
Jones-Drew teamed up with Activision Publishing and Pro vs. GI Joe in an online video game showdown with military troops stationed across the world, from the Touchdown Club at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Jones-Drew, along with Rashean Mathis, Uche Nwaneri, Scott Starks and Quentin Groves, competed with troops stationed in USO Centers in Camp Sather (Iraq), Camp Virginia (Kuwait), Camp As Sayliyah (Qatar) and troops based stateside in Fort Bliss (El Paso, Texas), Fort Drum (New York) and the Naval Air Station Jacksonville (Florida). The players battled the troops in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 over Xbox LIVE.
"We had a lot of fun today," Jones-Drew said. "It was cool seeing all the troops on the monitors and getting to talk a little smack with them. Obviously we can't thank them enough for what they are doing right now. Of course, I had to win."
Two Jacksonville families attended the event and were able to reunite with their relatives serving overseas in Qatar. Pro vs. GI Joe is a nonprofit organization that provides troops serving all over the world with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to take on their favorite professional athlete or celebrity in heated head-to-head video game competitions online and in person. More information can be found at www.provsgijoe.com
