The New York Jets running back Chris Ivory is man of few words. He leads more with his actions on the field. Linebackers and safeties really don’t want to see him in the open field. Yet one man from the world of acting looks to take on Chris in a whole new way.

Ben Schwartz from “Parks and Rec” and “House of Lies” goes toe-to-toe in an interview with Chris Ivory. Will Ben make Chris open up? Find out in the latest episode of “Courtyard Camera.”

We are two days away from the start of the 2015 NFL season. We are all excited. We can’t wait to make sure our fantasy lineups are all set, the snacks are ready, and team will make us proud. I am thinking that the players are bit more excited than we are. For Panthers QB Cam Newton, he prepared himself for the upcoming season in a unique way.

In July, Newton took a trip to Australia to train with the Richmond Tigers of the Australian Football League as part of the Gatorade Football Exchange Program. While he was there, Newton found some new ways to improve his game as he practiced with the team, sat in on team meetings and also took part in team meals to see how the AFL players train and fuel their bodies in preparation for their season.

The Gatorade Football Exchange is a once-in-a-lifetime training experience that allows athletes to immerse themselves in the training and culture of another footballer’s sport to demonstrate how different forms of football are played throughout the world and that athletes from these various sports all share the same formula for success: talent + hard work + the right sports fuel.

Tomorrow is Madden Day. Some people take off work and treat it like a national holiday. I totally understand. I am a fan of the Madden series. The folks at EA Sports are smart to release the game right near the weeks leading up to the NFL Kickoff game. To build up even more hype they created a trailer for the game that mixes football and a montage of films from 80’s.

The trailer stars Rob Gronkowski, Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, Rex Ryan, and Colin Kaepernick. Watch how Colin channels his inner Al Pacino.

Football is less than a month away. From the NFL to college football we as fans can’t hardly wait. One question does remain. Is your car tailgating worthy? If you are not sure there is a list of the top 10 vehicle features for tailgating that Cars.com has recently put together. So check out the top 10 vehicle features for tailgating to keep your pre-, during- and post-game party on track

Locking RamBox

How do built-in bins with enough space for more than 200 cans sound? Tasty, I know. RamBox, available on Ram light- and heavy-duty pickup trucks, saddles two massive bins on each side of the truck bed with up to 8.6 cubic feet of cargo space in the larger, 6-foot-4-inch bed, and 7.3 cubic feet of beverage space with the 5-foot-7-inch bed. The RamBox is lockable with the remote key fob to keep poachers from stealing your goods while you watch the main event.

Household Power Outlet

Two or three-pronged household outlets are fairly easy to find in SUVs, trucks and minivans, especially those with rear-entertainment systems. Be sure to check the power ratings of the outlet as some don’t have enough juice to power a larger TV. In that case, pick a truck like the Toyota Tacoma with optional 115-volt, 400-watt outlet to handle an assortment of powerful tailgating electrical devices.

Rear Entertainment System

Plug your PlayStation/Xbox into the rear entertainment system for some pre-game pump up on “Madden 16″ or on a classic game such as “ESPN NFL 2K5.”

Rear-Facing Tailgate Seat

With the party happening at the rear of the vehicle, rear-facing tailgate seats like in the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country and Ford Flex provide a great view of the action off the field. These third rows pivot backward and are prime real estate.

In-Car Wireless Internet

Though earlier systems proved weak and more of a gimmick, in-car wireless systems are heading in the right direction with 4G LTE speeds being tapped and transmitted into in-car hot spots. Audi and GM offer the feature across all varieties of their cars, trucks and SUVs.

Multiple USB Ports

Tailgating often means a long day of constant battery drain while researching lineup changes, injuries and green flag start times. Thankfully, you and all of your friends can mooch off up to five USB inputs for charging devices in a truck like the Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra. Want to get creative? Look into a USB-powered mug warmer for those frigid, late-season football games.

Satellite Radio

Stuck tailgating at a football game while NASCAR continues on or vice versa? Tune into the broadcast on satellite radio and pipe the race or game through the car’s stereo or a mobile device via the SiriusXM mobile app.

Honda Odyssey In-Car Vacuum

Driving to the football field can be like piloting a rolling kitchen pantry. The chances of spilling a 32-ounce giant plastic bin of cheese balls are high, plus many racetracks’ parking lots are in grass- or mud-covered fields, so something like the Honda Odyssey’s built-in vacuum becomes an easy win for cleaning up after the last embers go out in the grill.

YES Essentials Upholstery

Spills are unavoidable, and the spill risk increases with the amount of “refreshments” brought to the tailgate. No one wants to go there, but designated drivers with YES Essentials fabric in certain Kia, Hyundai and Fiat Chrysler Automobile vehicles won’t have to worry as much about the unspeakable since the cloth upholstery is stain and — this is key — odor resistant.

Anything With a Liftgate

This seems like a no-brainer but it’s worth a mention. Sure, tailgating refers to gathering around the fold-down tailgate of a truck or SUV, but anything with a liftgate might be the way to go as the liftgate rises above the rear of the vehicle to shade tailgaters – liftgaters? — From sun and foul weather.

Sammy Watkins just finished up a phenomenal rookie season and along with a stellar defense, is bringing hope back to a weary fan base in Buffalo that is long overdue for a team to be hopeful about. Watkins completed a successful rookie campaign, setting franchise marks for both receptions and yards despite having his starting quarterback benched early in the season and finishing out the year with a solid but unremarkable Kyle Orton.

The Bills gave up quite a bit for the opportunity to move up and select Watkins in the form of two first rounders and a fourth round pick. This along with the successful rookie campaigns of other receivers in what will likely go down as one of the deepest and most talented receiver classes of all time had Watkins coming into the league with even more pressure than usual for first round picks.

Watkins responded by persevering through injuries, quarterback changes, drawing the defenses number one coverage man, and in some cases, entire games of double teams, by repeatedly coming up big for his team when they needed him. His most noteworthy moment according to himself and others was a game winning catch against the Vikings in week seven with the season already on the line with a tough schedule ahead of them.

Sammy sat down with Man Jr. to discuss his transition into the league, the coaching changes and volatility in Buffalo, adjusting to life in his new home, and his work on Pepsi’s Hype Your Hometown contest. Check out the audio below:

Sammy Watkins Interview

The annual first staple party of Super Bowl week, EA SPORTS’ Madden Bowl XXI, at Live Wire/Bottled Blonde in Scottsdale, was one of the best Madden Bowls to date.

Madden Bowl XXI saw top NFL players go head to head, competing in Madden NFL 25 on Xbox One. In a heated battle, the Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson was crowned Madden Bowl XXI champion, beating out last year’s champion, the Eagles’ LeSean McCoy, for the title.

The night was hosted by “The Wedding Ringer” star and comedian Kevin Hart, and featured special performances by Nelly, Florida Georgia Line and Nico & Vinz. Celebrities attending included:

Kevin Hart and fiancé Eniko Parrish

Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)

Actor Chris Evans and his brother, soap star Scott Evans

Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)

AJ Green (Bengals)

JiffPom (celebrity dog)

LeSean McCoy (Eagles)

Wes Welker (Broncos)

Jeremy Maclin (Eagles)

Von Miller (Broncos)

Le’veon Bell (Steelers)

Antonio Brown (Steelers)

Thomas Q. Jones is a captivating force on and off the field. While best known as an unstoppable running back that played twelve seasons in the NFL, Jones has turned his post-NFL focus to the world of acting and will next be featured in Season 3 of the BET smash-hit, “Being Mary Jane.”

He recently completed filming “Straight Outta Compton,” the feature film based on the lives and careers of the hip-hop group N.W.A. and has appeared in such acclaimed series as “Shameless” and “Comedy Bang Bang.”

Drafted 7th overall in the 2000 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals out of the University of Virginia, Jones went on to become one of the 25 leading rushers in NFL history, with more than 10,000 rushing yards. In addition to the Cardinals, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming AFC Rushing Leader, an NFC Champion and Pro-Bowl selection within his career.

He grew up in Big Stone Gap, VA alongside five sisters, one brother (former NFL running back, Julius Jones) and his coal-miner parents. Jones recently collaborated with his parents to publish Blessings from the Dust, a book inspired by the struggles the family endured coming from the poverty-stricken coal-mining camps of Virginia.

Jones received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, in three years, from the University of Virginia, and established the Thomas Quinn Jones I Academic Scholarship, at his alma mater, among his other philanthropic endeavors. Committed to helping the NFL evolve, he has committed to donating his brain, for research upon death, to the Sports Legacy Institute which studies the link between sports and brain trauma. He is also working on a documentary, “The NFL: The Gift or the Curse?”

I had the great fortune to talk with Thomas about his many passions and outlook on life. From his playing days in the NFL, to acting, creating a business, and getting his MBA, Jones is always working. It is remarkable to see someone not only excel in one job that is hard to get into like the NFL, but then make it in the acting world.

Click HERE to listen to the interview I had with Thomas. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasJonesRB and make sure you check out his website at http://www.thomasqjones.com.

The latest ‘Bad Lip Readings’ video is back and looks to poke fun at some of the NFL’s biggest stars with some hilarious lines.

Tis’ the season…for holiday hijinks! Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman teamed up with Courtyard to surprise guests and spread some holiday cheer at a Courtyard by Marriott in Chicago, IL.

Posed as an eccentric Scrooge-like director that was hired to film a holiday video card for Courtyard, Tillman had unsuspecting guests sing “Jingle Bells” while wearing makeup and ridiculous props all while being captured by hidden cameras.

When the disguise came off, Charles Tillman revealed himself to be the same “nice guy” that NFL fans recognize.

NFL star and CBS analyst Tony Gonzalez is teaming up with Marriott Rewards to give back to the most passionate NFL fans across the country with every fan’s dream opportunity.

Now through December 2, 2014, football fans are invited to share their passion for the NFL through 30-sec videos or captioned photos that show an unrivaled spirit for the game and their favorite player. Six lucky fans who can prove they are among the “Most Passionate” will receive the ultimate NFL experience hosted by Gonzalez – an exclusive trip for two to Phoenix, tickets to the Pro Bowl, and the opportunity to hang with their favorite player on January 24, the day before the game.

“One of my best memories when I was younger was having Merlin Olsen come out to my Pop Warner practice field and come talk to us, and drop knowledge, and the things that he told me back then like, work hard, follow your dreams, stuck with me for the rest of my life,” said Gonzalez. “The ‘Marriott Rewards Most Passionate Fan’ contest is the same type of thing – to be able to hang out with your hero, it’s a dream come true and I encourage everybody to go out there and make it happen.”

A voting period for the top 100 entries, which is open to the public, lasts from Dec. 2 – 19. To enter the contest and read the official rules, visit MarriottRewardsMostPassionateFan.com.