Aaron and Alvin Jones look forward to returning home for a softball charity event
The all-star lineup at the A&A All the Way Foundation Charity Softball Game, packed with former UTEP stars and El Paso big-timers, speaks to the growing talent in the Sun City.
A decade and a half ago, when Aaron and Alvin Jones became elite athletes in Burges, El Paso wasn’t where it is today in that regard, but it did produce an NFL quarterback in Burges’ John Skelton, who played for the Arizona Cardinals. That was pretty much the only local NFL player Aaron Jones got to see firsthand, and he remembers what that meant.
That explains why he and his twin brother, Alvin, love returning to their hometown to host what has become an annual event. Thursday night was the third A&A All-Star softball game, with more to come.
“Giving back to the community, being there for the youth – if you can see it, you can reach it, you can touch it,” Aaron said 90 minutes before stepping onto the pitch, which has been playing since 2022. “I had that with John Skelton from Burges, I could see it, feel it, touch it. That was my way of seeing it.”
“That’s what we want to do here this weekend. We’re about the youth, we want to show them these athletes who have played sports. They may not be from El Paso, but they are willing to give something back to El Paso because this is about the youth. That’s very important to me.”
Alvin said, “We want to show the kids that they can achieve anything they want. This town means a lot to us. We want to keep giving back, keep bringing people here and show the kids that they can achieve anything they want.”
A typical example was 15-year-old Eastwood student Matthew Orona, who wore a brand new Aaron Jones Packers jersey.
“I like Aaron Jones, I’ve always looked up to him,” said Orona, who was one of about 2,000 fans at the game. “It means a lot to me, he came from a small town and was able to do big things in the NFL.”
By far the most popular jersey at Southwest University Park was Micah Parsons’ No. 11 of the Dallas Cowboys, followed by Jones’ Packers jerseys. Only a handful of people owned the new jersey, Jones’ No. 33 Vikings jersey. Aaron Jones traded from Green Bay to Minnesota in March.
Some of this led to the rather comical sight of Aaron Jones signing Dallas Cowboys gear for fans who were surely aware that he was a Cowboys killer in his career, even though Dallas was his favorite team growing up.
Fans wearing Parsons jerseys might have been a little disappointed, as he was left off the roster at short notice after missing a flight in Lubbock.
“It’s OK, I wanted to see Micah Parsons, but it’s cool that I can see Aaron Jones and everyone else,” said 13-year-old Adrian Gonzalez, one of the fans wearing the Parsons jersey.
Aside from Aaron and Alvin Jones, it was Tristen Newton who received the loudest applause. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers about two hours before the game and pulled out a Pacers cap to show the crowd, who cheered him with highlights on the scoreboard.
“El Paso, I am grateful,” he said.
Returning to El Paso always means a lot to the Joneses and their family. Aaron has now relocated to Minneapolis after being signed by the Vikings in the offseason, but he has always made his love for El Paso clear, like when he scores touchdowns and flashes El Paso’s 915 area code at the TV cameras.
“We’re excited to come back and give back to El Paso. We say El Paso is our home,” Aaron said. “I take El Paso pride everywhere I go and represent the city on the football field. When I score a goal, I show the ‘915.’ I really feel like El Paso is on this journey with me and I thank them for all the support and love.”
“This is our way of giving back to the community, to the game of softball and also to the football camps.”
Most of the celebrities had ties to El Paso, but not all of them.
“The athletes that come here can see how the city of El Paso stands behind the athletes,” Aaron Jones said. “They can experience the atmosphere and culture of El Paso. The people that come here keep coming back. They like El Paso.”
Local professional boxer Brandon White from Alvin’s Team Vino found this out a long time ago.
“I’m not originally from El Paso, but when I came here I was welcomed with open arms,” he said. “This is my home, it’s been my home for some time. It feels good to give back, it’s great to be a part of it. A lot of us play professional sports and the support we get here is unmatched.”
John Bohannon, also on Team Vino, was new to El Paso when he came to UTEP to play basketball early last decade, and even though Dallas is his home now, it is always special to him.
“El Paso is my second home, I have a son who lives here,” said Bohannon (his son is 9). “I always try to give back and I’m grateful to have this opportunity and to be in this game. I will always love El Paso.”
Although the players wanted to play this game for altruistic reasons, there was a game and they admitted that they wanted to win. This is especially true for Alvin and Aaron, who had the usual sibling rivalry as children but don’t get to act it out as often as adults.
“It’s bragging rights all year long,” Aaron said. “We grew up competing against each other, and now this is the only competition we have against each other. We work together, we do everything together, so the competition is fun.”
They showed it by running onto the field together several times to present their opposing views to the beleaguered umpires. At the end of the evening, Aaron’s team Showtyme managed a dramatic comeback with seven runs in the fifth inning to win 15-13.
It looks like this series could last seven games, but that will be it by next June.
Reach Bret Bloomquist at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
Five games that will determine Michigan’s 2024 season
Michigan football star ranked as best DT in college football
5 good reasons to buy glasses and contact lenses at Sam’s Club
About The Author
