Boz to the Future Episode 21: The Future of Immersive Sports With Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins and Troy Jones

Welcome back for another episode of Boz To The Future, a podcast from Reality Labs. In today’s episode, our host, Meta CTO and Head of Reality Labs Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, is joined by StatusPRO Founders Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins and Troy Jones.

StatusPRO, the company behind the immensely popular game NFL PRO ERA, was founded by former athletes Hawkins and Jones. They leveraged their experience by developing Pre Game Prep, a training product for NFL club coaches and players where they signed the Baltimore Ravens as their first client. They then moved on to develop NFL PRO ERA which is the first NFL- and NFLPA-licensed football simulation game.

Hawkins, a former NFL wide receiver, and Jones, a former Division 1 quarterback, together with their team of former athletes, poured all their expertise and first-hand experience into building immersive football experiences that put people in the center of the action. Their flagship title, NFL PRO ERA, recently relaunched as a live service game with a suite of updates and new game modes—including playable defense. Check out our initial coverage of the update for all the details.

Together, Hawkins, Jones, and Bosworth go deep on immersive sports and technology, talking about the massive potential of mixed reality to bring a unique, “only in MR” experience to sports fans where they can really feel what it’s like to be an offensive or defensive player for their favorite teams.

They talk about the nuances between building a training sim and a game for consumers, how AI will transform gameplay, and how the lessons from playing team sports have transformed their approach to leadership and managing teams, as well as Hawkins’s fearless predictions for the NFL’s 105th season.

You can tune in to Boz to the Future on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can follow Bosworth on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Threads @boztank.