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The first live sports broadcast was a college baseball game between Princeton and Columbia, broadcast by NBC in 1939. No longer confined to the margins of newspapers or the muffled whispers of radio commentators, fans could now witness the highlight of athletic competition as if they were right there in the stadium, experiencing the tension, joy and heartache of live action, all from the comfort of their living rooms.
Fast forward to today and technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, transforming the way we watch sports and moving ever closer to a fully immersive virtual experience. That's what Andrew Hawkins and Troy Jones, co-founders Pro statussee it as the next step in this journey.
Entering the virtual realm
Troy Jones (former D1 quarterback) and Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins (former NFL wide receiver) teamed up with one specific goal: to allow fans to experience what it's like to be an NFL star. “People always ask us what it's like to be a professional athlete,” says Hawk. “We always say the same thing: it's as fun as it looks.”
Together, the two are using their athletic expertise to turn the fantasy of racing at the highest level into reality. This vision became the driving force behind their company Status Pro.”The NFL Pro Era.” Launching in 2022, Pro Era is the first officially licensed NFL VR game. Using the VR headset, users are transported under center to an NFL game, allowing them to feel what it's like for professional QBs .The game became the fastest-selling sports title on the Meta Quest store and has recently launched its third installment, NFL Pro Era 2025.
Changing the play
Before it became a successful video game, Pro Era was intended to be a training tool for professional athletes. “When we first got the technology, we spent a lot of time showing it to our families, friends, ex-colleagues—anyone with similar experiences,” Jones recalls. Over time, they noticed something unexpected: the players spent much more time with the “training product” than expected.
“Guys would come to us and say, 'This looks realistic, but it's also super fun,'” notes Hawk. That reaction prompted a realization: If professional athletes found the experience enjoyable, how cool would it be for fans who had never experienced anything like it? With this knowledge in mind, they shifted their focus from locker rooms to boardrooms and began pitching their technology to investors in the gaming space. “Every time we gave a non-professional athlete a headset and put them on the virtual 50-yard line, it blew them away,” Jones says. These demonstrations confirmed that fans had a deep desire to engage with sports in a more meaningful way and that XR/VR technology was the key to unlocking it.
Reading the defense
With tech giants like Meta investing billions in the VR market, the landscape has become increasingly attractive to venture capitalists. But it wasn't always like that. When Hawk and Jones began their journey in 2020, enthusiasm for virtual reality was far less mainstream. So how did they maintain their optimism amid such uncertainty? Hawk thinks it's because they were “stupid”.
“We were just the right amount of crazy,” he laughs. “Every entrepreneur thinks things will happen faster than they did, but we were so confident.” Jones believes that determination stems from their background. “We've both been told no all our lives,” he shares. That chip-on-the-shoulder mentality fueled their success in sports and continues to motivate them as they overcome barriers in business.
“When Hawk has a good game, his coach isn't singing his praises all day,” notes Jones. Instead, years in the NFL taught Hawk to evaluate every performance critically, constantly looking for improvement.
That resilience served the pair well throughout the license negotiation process with the NFL, which Hawk called “the hardest thing I've ever done in my career.” Although their status as former athletes opens many doors, it does not guarantee brand partnerships. After all, there are countless athletes with entrepreneurial ambitions. What sets Hawk and Jones apart is their relentless execution. “We're willing to fly all over the country just to connect with someone who can put us in touch with the right person,” claims Hawk.
Implementation of the game plan
Entrepreneurial success takes more than a great idea, a lesson Jones and Hawk learned early. Before pitching their concept to investors, they had to transform their vision into a tangible product. While some founders rely on their experience and credibility, even former NFL players need to demonstrate that they have something viable to offer. So they developed a prototype, refining their pitch several times until it began to gain traction. “Investors want to know you have a viable product,” Hawk points out. “But more importantly, they want to know why you're the one who can bring it to life.” Jones admires Hawk's talent for uncovering the story behind their product and communicating it effectively to potential investors. “He knows how to get people excited to invest in our vision,” says Jones. In a landscape where minority founders are often underrepresented, Jones sees their story as a differentiator. “We had the background to show that we could execute the vision, and we had a prototype that showed the tremendous potential for our idea if we could fully develop it,” he says.
Jones and Hawk's journey with Status Pro isn't just about building a business—it's about transforming the way people experience sports. Every sports tech company talks about disruption, but Status Pro is one of the few that delivers on that promise. As their company continues to grow, Hawk and Jones are redefining what it means to be a sports fan. “Most people focus on improving the way we watch sports,” Jones says. “We're focused on creating what people don't even know they want yet.” Hawk breaks it down in simpler terms: “Years from now, the first time anyone will have played an NFL VR game, it will be through us,” says the former wide receiver. “This is real disruption.”