Aaron Jones excited to bring celebrity softball game back to El Paso

Aaron and Alvin Jones' A&A All the Way Charity Softball Game at Southwest University Park is more than a month away, but Aaron Jones dropped in an interview that the celebrity event could include El Paso's other biggest sports name: Ricardo Pepi.

"Pepi is confirmed,” Jones said in an online interview with El Paso media to promote the second annual event set for June 29. “He messaged me and we were going back forth, I told him we were trying to get all the big dogs from El Paso in the game. He said, ‘I’m down.’ So we’re good there.”

There is still some suspense there, as the date for the game falls in middle of the Gold Cup, which would be a conflict if Pepi is called up by the U.S. national team for the tournament.

Jones said the rosters are far from set, but indicated invitations have also been extended to local boxing stars Jennifer Han and Kayla Walker, and there will be a complement of NFL players, some making their first trip here.

He said the goal is to make this year's event bigger and better than last year's inaugural game, but the core mission remains the same.

More: Aaron Jones showcases new restaurant, Showtyme Sports Grill, in East El Paso

"It’s very important, it’s just one of the ways to give back to the community, bring celebrities who have never seen El Paso to get to experience the culture and the people," Jones said. "We get to bring them in and show them our town, our city and how the people really are. It’s huge.

"It’s win-win for both sides. The El Paso community gets to meet celebrities, athletes, musicians from different walks of life who have never been to El Paso. Now they are crossing paths. It’s big for both sides."

Jones said he's always known he was meant to do something like this.

"Giving back is my passion, my joy," said Jones, who was Green Bay's nominee this season for the NFL's Man of the Year Award. "I figured that out as a young kid. I enjoy putting a smile on other people’s faces, giving back, making an impact. To me, it’s not what you do, it’s how many people you bring along with you. That resonates with me.

"El Paso is a community that still supports me. From El Paso not a lot of people make it to the professional level. These people cheering for me, they believed in me when not a lot of other people did. It’s important for me to get back and give them my respect, my love and continuing to thank them for coming along in this journey."

Building on a foundation

He said the softball game has a good base to build on.

"Last year was amazing," Jones said. "We do a softball game here in Green Bay, the turnout was very similar to Green Bay. There is so much support and love. Now the goal is bigger and better. Get more people to come out, put on a better show. Take more time for the fans so we can enjoy it with them."

One of the big changes Jones is looking for is a different result. Alvin's team won the game last year.

"It’s eating me up," Jones said. "I’m trying to put together a roster that can take out Alvin. They cheated last year, they didn’t change the batting order at the end, that’s how they ended up getting their big hitters back up who won them the game."

Here's another difference fans can expect: "I will be taking time to take pictures with fans, be a little more interactive with them than I was last year," Jones said. "I was really, really into the game last year."

NCAA basketball national championship, Aaron Rodgers departure

This has been an interesting offseason for Jones, who has a chance to become the face of the franchise with the departure of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Jones was also a prominent face at the NCAA basketball tournament, where he cheered on his cousin and fellow El Pasoan Tristen Newton to a national championship for Connecticut.

"That was surreal," Jones said. "I’m a huge basketball fan, basketball is my favorite sport. You ask any kid growing up, it’s every kid’s dream to win a national championship. That’s what you play for, to get to March. For them to win it all — I called it in early January, Tristen called it a few days after me.

"I had been talking to my brother (Alvin) in December, ‘These guys have the pieces to win it all.’ They are not selfish, they don’t care who is scoring the ball, they have a 7-(foot-)2 guy coming off the bench. Being at the game, even my own games, I haven’t gotten that hyped. It was like I was out there on the court, living it through him. After the game I told him how proud I was of him.

"'It’s something you dreamed of and you achieved it.' Not many people can say they are national champions, even bigger, someone from El Paso. That’s special. Never let anybody tell you you can’t do anything. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish."

Jones also threw in this: "The best thing was, we were back in Texas (Houston) and none of the Texas schools offered him. It was even sweeter coming back to his home state where the schools had told him he wasn’t good enough to play."

A re-energized Aaron Jones

As for Green Bay, the Packers will be having their next OTA (organized team activities) next week and Jones said he feels re-energized after meeting with the team on April 17 for the first team gathering.

"It’s been a lot of fun getting in the swing of things, it gives you a free restart," Jones said. "It’s like going back to day 1, it’s new, it’s fresh. I look to provide a spark to my team, be a leader, help (new quarterback) Jordan (Love) make his job easy. We’re all going to make each other’s job easier. Be a spark, be a leader, help us go far."

Jones has made quite a long journey from Burges High to UTEP to the Green Bay Packers to a Pro Bowl. He'll stop back by El Paso soon enough to offer a reminder of what hard work and belief can do.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: NFL RB Aaron Jones excited to bring celebrity softball back to El Paso