Maurice Jones-Drew took pride in his versatility as a player. The former Jacksonville Jaguars running back flashed his considerable running and receiving skills during a career that saw him earn three trips to the Pro Bowl.
So it shouldn't be a surprise that Jones-Drew is doing everything and anything in his post-football career in broadcasting.
Jones-Drew's week ranges from analyzing fantasy football to players' fashions. He has regular segments that require him to use his budding acting skills. He is a multi-platform performer on NFL Network, NFL Now, SiriusXM NFL Radio and even as a game analyst for the Rams' local radio outlet in Los Angeles.
"It's great to be versatile," Jones-Drew said. "That's what I love about this. It makes you want to do everything if need be."
In some respects, Jones-Drew has been planning for a broadcast career ever since he took a public speaking class during his college days at UCLA. After his second year with the Jaguars, he attended the NFL's Broadcast Boot Camp.
"My agent told me when you get in the league, you're on the back side of your football career," Jones-Drew said. "A lot of players don't understand that. It's not like you're going to have a long career like a doctor or lawyer does. You have to prepare for something else."
Jones-Drew parlayed the Boot Camp into several broadcast gigs while he still was a player in Jacksonville. After he played his final season with Oakland in 2014, he went from a part-time broadcaster to full-time in landing at NFL Media.
Jones-Drew credited being able to jump all-in so quickly in easing the transition to his new life.
"It's hard to go cold turkey when you've been playing football all your life," Jones-Drew said. "(Broadcasting) helped me cope with a lot of issues former players have."
It's not as if Jones-Drew has much time to dwell on not playing. His broadcast schedule is loaded. He appears on Fantasy and Friends, which airs on NFL Network Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. ET. He continues to host Runnin' with MJD, a show he began as a player, on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio.
Jones-Drew also added game analysis to his resume in landing in the Rams' local radio booth for the team's return season to Los Angeles. He is learning the challenge -- and art -- of trying wedge his comments into 10-15-second segments.
"The game goes quick," Jones-Drew said. "You can't take several minutes to say something."
Those gigs, though, are conventional compared to what Jones does for NFL Now, a virtual network of digital programming that runs 24-7 (live and on-demand). It is accessible on personal computers at nfl.com/now; through NFL Mobile from Verizon on smartphones and tablets; and in the NFL channel across select consoles and streaming devices, including Microsoft's Xbox One and Apple TV, as well as on Twitter (@NFLNow). The platform allows Jones and new NFL Network teammate, former Pittsburgh Steeler cornerback Ike Taylor, to take a decided out-of-the-box view of the game..
A popular favorite is Fashion Po-Po, a weekly segment in which Jones-Drew and Taylor assess the best and worst dressed players in the NFL. This week, Taylor called Denver rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch "Detective Lynch" for his trench coat look.
"A lot of people in the NFL are into fashion," Jones-Drew said. "We thought it would be awesome to grade these guys on their dress code. The players like it. They tweet it out or text us. They like to talk about their clothes."
Jones-Drew also does a weekly feature called No Disrespect, offering his views on the game. It tests his acting skills, as he works with a team to produce segments that have a special theme. For instance, Jones-Drew did a No Disrespect as if he was about to climb Mt. Everest. Framed by mountains thanks to some TV magic, he donned a heavy winter coat and hat, which would have been great if he had actually been in the cold instead of under the hot studio lights.
"It had to be about 100 degrees in there," Jones-Drew said.
Jones-Drew said he likes the challenge of "pushing the envelope" by doing something different. His outgoing personality makes him the right candidate to be featured on the NFL Now platform that tries to veer from the traditional approach to discussing football.
"People's attention spans are so short, you want to find ways to capture them and keep them watching," Jones-Drew said. "A lot of people think the NFL is by the book. We want to show the NFL can have fun as well."
Jones-Drew, though, does have a constant element in all his various roles: He needs to offer honest analysis on football. He delivered a zinger at Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan in this week's Fashion Po-Po, saying, "You can throw some pick sixes, but you know how to pick a suit."
Jones-Drew says he truly means "no disrespect," adding it is part of his new career.
"Players understand I have a job to do," Jones-Drew said. "They know it comes from someone who played the game and knows what is going on. I don't across the line, but I do touch it."
