Interview: NFL Superstar Justin Blackmon Reveals His Long Time Love For Video Games

The FPS fanatic and member of Team Ghost talks about

Not Available Lead
Image via Complex Original
Not Available Lead

Justin Blackmon was born in the wrong century. The all-star Oklahoma State wide receiver stands a formidable 6'1 and weighs in at a lean 215. He should have been helping Achilles and the Greeks sack Troy, or, been shoulder to shoulder with the Spartans defending Thermaopyle. The first few Olympics in Athens could have benefited from an appearance by the presumed first round NFL draft pick. Unfortunately for us at Complex, we're no longer allowed to use the company time machine, there are only so many times a guy can apologize for trying to get Benjamin Franklin to invent the internet 200 years early. Sorry....again.

So we, and the rest of the sporting world, are just going to have to sit back, and be content watching this future superstar crush as many records in the NFL as he did at Oklahoma State. We recently had the chance to talk to Justin about the draft, gaming, and just how bright the future looks for this 22 year old.
 
Congratulations on the draft. That's huge, you must be super psyched.
Thanks, man. Yeah, I just feel really blessed and grateful at this point.
 
You've recently been recruited, along with NBA power forward Kevin Love, as a member of Team Ghost, Ubisoft's all star team of celebrity gamers handpicked to help promote Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. How long have you considered yourself a gamer?
I've been playing games for years, ever since I was a kid. But, an official gamer? Like full time since the beginning of this school year. I've been gaming hard since last September.
 
When you were coming up, what were some of the big games that you played? What helped get you into gaming?
Super Mario Brothers, man. That was my game of choice. Now, I'm into any game that's entertaining and anything online that I can play with my friends. I look for games that catch my eye, something that can keep me from thinking about other stuff, at least  for a little while.
 
What kind of games get you going, first person shooters, role playing, strategy, action?
I'm more of a first person shooter fan. I like running in there and getting the job done. It's a lot of fun And the best thing about it, you don't actually die. You're always a checkpoint away from starting over and going at it again.
 
Do you feel, as a gamer, that you've acquired skills that you can use on the field from your time spent with a controller in your hands? Better hand eye coordination and the like?
I wouldn't say hand/eye coordination so much, but definitely communication. Playing on a football team is all about communication and that is something that's also important in gaming. Talking with your teammates, getting the job done, and the mission accomplished. When you are playing online, and on the field, you need to be able to tell people where you're going and what you're doing. Setting up plans and executing them is something that is really important.
 
Are there any games that you've recently found yourself playing marathon sessions of? Anything that you've spent all night playing and maybe showing up late the next day to practice?
Recently, Ghost Recon. I've been playing the game non-stop. Once you get going you just wanna keep playing and beat the campaign. I'm really into at the moment.
 
You, and a team of anyone you want, versus Malcom Floyd (Notre Dame Wide Reciever, another possible first round draft pick) and his team on Ghost Recon death match; who's coming out on top?
That's easy. Me and my team for sure.

Latest in Pop Culture