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New state title-winning Texas QB had instant connection with offensive line thanks to video games, not football

Allen (Texas) High quarterback Kyler Murray just completed one of the more magical seasons in recent memory, leading the Eagles to a state title with a 35-21 victory against Houston (Texas) Lamar High in the same year that it opened up a much ballyhooed new multi-million dollar stadium. He even got a special Twitter follow from Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel after a big playoff win.

Allen QB Kyler Murray, who bonded with his new teammates with Xbox — Twitter
Allen QB Kyler Murray, who bonded with his new teammates with Xbox — Twitter

Yet Murray had never played for Allen before the start of the season. In fact, he hadn’t even met any of his fellow players … at least not in person. As it turns out, that wasn’t a problem with team chemistry for the simple reason of modern technology.

As reported by the Dallas Morning News, Murray became acquainted with his offensive linemen by playing video games with them on Xbox connect, the multiplayer wi-fi setting for the Microsoft gaming system. The quarterback played with some of his teammates before meeting them in person, then picked up the online gaming when the team got together for a preseason tournament.

It turns out the entire Allen offensive line were big gamers. So was Murray. The connection was swift and immediate.

“People had been talking about him, but the offensive line kind of works out on their own row,” Allen offensive lineman John Clark told the Morning News. “I would never see the guy.

“[Then] at an NCAA [Football] Tournament, we were playing Xbox. … It clicked from there.”

The moral of the story? When needing to make a vital connection, go with the language that everyone knows: modern video gaming.

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