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Le'Veon Bell poses with his Call of Duty in-game character.
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'Call of Duty: WWII' features Le'Veon Bell and Alejandro Villanueva. Here's what they think about that.

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'Call of Duty: WWII' features Le'Veon Bell and Alejandro Villanueva. Here's what they think about that.

If you’re a Steelers fan and a “Call of Duty” fan, congratulations.

Le’Veon Bell and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, are both characters in “Call of Duty: WWII,” the 14th installment of the super-popular series of military video games, set for release on Nov. 3. It’s the first of the series set in World War II since 2008.

Likenesses of both Steelers show up on the game’s “Headquarters” mode, which the developer describes as “an all new off-the-frontlines experience for Call of Duty players” where they can “compete, earn rewards, show off their accomplishments, and connect with fans and friends.”

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To celebrate all that, Bell and Villanueva joined their teammates at a Downtown restaurant on Tuesday, where they played the game and took some time to speak to the Post-Gazette about the experience, video games in general and, of course, JuJu Smith-Schuster. These two interviews have been condensed and combined for clarity.

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PG: Al, you’ve done some cool stuff in your life. Where does this rank? How high up the list is this?

Villanueva: It’s an interesting thing, because “Call of Duty,” especially in my generation, is such a huge influencer. We used to finish missions with the 75th Ranger Regiment. We would get back on the helicopter, do a whole debrief, do the REAL call of duty, and then we would all get in one room to play “Call of Duty.”

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We’d get really competitive. We used to make the privates hold cardboard to create screens so that we couldn’t watch each other’s [TV screens.] So now, to have the opportunity to be part of such a great organization like Sledgehammer and be part of this game, it’s a huge honor and privilege.

PG: Le’Veon, it’s been a big few days for you. First you work at Dairy Queen and now this.

Bell: Oh, it has been a very good week. I’m in business.

PG: What was the process like for you, going to the studio and doing all of this?

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Bell: It was a nice six hours or seven hours. It was all worth it. We had to shoot two separate days, and it was fun. It was something I didn’t really expect, because I never knew what exactly went behind the game with the motion-capture and everything. So just to be part of it and really have that time, I loved it.

PG: Al, what games specifically were you playing when you were [in Afghanistan] with the guys?

Villanueva: I was there in 2011, ’12, ’13, ’14 and ’15, so I played every single game that came out. I played all of them. Whatever one was the new one, I was playing.

PG: I’m pretty psyched to see them go back to the World War II games, because those were coming out when I was in high school.

Villanueva: Yeah, I know the “Medal of Honor” games were like the high school games, but I never really played. Honestly, the first time I played a console was with “Call of Duty.” It was such a huge, popular movement. And this World War II one, it’s pretty creative. There’s just so much thought behind the details of every map, every scenario. Right now, you have half of the Pittsburgh Steelers yelling at each other, about to end friendships over this video game. So it goes to show how intense and fun this is.

By the way, JuJu Smith-Schuster, great football player, but he’s possibly the best “Call of Duty” player that I’ve ever seen in my life.

PG: That was my next question. You guys are actually playing the game right now?

Villanueva: Yeah, they had to pull me out. Not just because I was the worst player, but because I had to do this interview. There’s some really good stuff going on out there.

PG: So JuJu is the man to beat?

Villanueva: Oh, JuJu is the man to beat. But let me tell you something, I’ve heard David DeCastro is a very, very talented “Call of Duty” player. Unfortunately, he isn’t here today, so the crown must go to JuJu.

Bell: They’re saying JuJu is the best? That’s got to be a joke. No way.

PG: JuJu’s still in college mode though, right? He had a lot more free time.

Bell: That is true. That is true. When I was in college, I played a lot of “Call of Duty 2,” but I still do now. So I feel like he can’t catch up.

Villanueva: Aw, I know. He’s competing with players that have two kids, that were born in the ‘80s. Actually, I was teaching him how to drive before we got here, because he doesn’t have his driver’s license yet.

PG: Oh man, how is that going? I want the update on JuJu learning how to drive.

Villanueva: You know what, it’s going well. There was only one incident where he hit the gas and the brake at the same time, and that was a bit of a scare. But for the most part, so far so good. He’s very aware, very respectful all the time of everyone else. Definitely not an aggressive driver. So I think he should be good to go.

PG: What car are you teaching him on?

Villanueva: I’m teaching him to drive the hardest vehicle — the 2017 F-150 Limited.

PG: Oh no. You said friendships are on the line — are guys getting salty already? I’m sure you’re used to playing each other, in Madden or whatever. Who is getting angry?

Villanueva: They have a really nice setup. I’m sure when you play online it’s unbelievable. You have these two teams, they have the divisions, so you can truly go specifically into historical units and their role. So military likes to use it. [You use] the specific equipment they would carry. In Headquarters mode, you get the chance to talk to everybody and interact, and then you start the matchup. It’s very intense. The maps are great — not too big, not too small. They really allow for some good confrontation. Great teamwork within the teams, and a lot of interest from the other team, so that’s exactly what you want.

PG: Le’Veon, how much do you guys play, whether it’s “Call of Duty” or “Madden” or whatever? Do you guys get the chance to get together and play and talk trash?

Bell: Maybe like 3-4 times a year we all really get a chance to play together. Now don’t get me wrong, you have your friends over every now and then to play 1-on-1, but as a group of guys, three or four times.

PG: So Al, you’re in Headquarters mode. You work on the firing range. Have you actually seen your character yet?

Villanueva: I’ve seen my character. Very accurate. Obviously I was never an enlisted soldier but they did an unbelievable job, and the whole process of going down to LA and working with the Sledgehammer studio — I’ve worked with a lot of organizations in my football career and the new world I’ve gotten myself into, but by far, Sledgehammer [Games] was one of the most professional and interesting groups of people I’ve ever met. Everybody wants to know how a video game is made and I had a chance to look behind the scenes. It was really a unique experience.

PG: I know you’re working on your MBA. Has that been a help? As you’ve seen the business end of how video games are made, has that been helpful for you?

Villanueva: Maybe one of the reasons the trip for me [in late June] was so productive was I was very inquisitive about the entire operation. Production, management, sales, the team was unbelievable at not only welcoming me but explaining me the different intricacies of creating the character. The studio, in San Francisco, showing me how they go about their business.

For me, it was refreshing. As a business student you always have your head toward financial institutions and what they’re gonna do. Corporate divisions in New York. But this West Coast-sort of vibe I got in LA was refreshing. It was an unbelievable experience, just from how professional they are, meticulous, precise, and the end product that I just got to see here with my teammates, it was a very cool process.

PG: Aside from this, I have to ask, what’s your favorite game of all time? What’s No. 1 if you’re stuck on a desert island?

Villanueva: I would say this one. [laughs] The impression that this game has caused with my teammates, it’s very realistic. When you play these other games from the past, there are some non-realistic things about it, like the way you reload. Special operations, everybody wants to say that the Rangers, the Navy SEALS are the tip of the spear, but I think this game brings it down to the real heroes of our military. The Greatest Generation, like they call it. The World War II guys. The infantry, the push to Normandy, it’s just very special.

Everyone’s favorite movie is “Saving Private Ryan” in the military, and this is the video game that goes along with that.

PG: That was my next question. We all know your background. That makes this better for you? There’s no weirdness? You didn’t feel uncomfortable about diving into a video game after being involved with the real thing?

Villanueva: No, because when we were doing the real thing, we were still playing video games. Enlisted soldiers, they’re young guys who just got out of high school. You graduate from high school, you’re living your high-school life, and then a year and a half later, you’re in Afghanistan and doing the real life. These cultural things like playing video games, I think when I was a kid my parents were hoping they’d go away, but now it’s a societal thing. We love to play video games. I think everyone will enjoy it, whether it’s my dad playing, my grandpa playing.

I’m definitely looking forward to the opportunity to play online and see if I can dethrone JuJu and DeCastro in the next couple years.

PG: Le’Veon, were you a “Call of Duty” fan beforehand? What other games did you play growing up?

Bell: Oh, I’ve always been a “Call of Duty” fan, but I didn’t expect to ever be in the game. I’d never even thought about that. It was crazy that I had the opportunity to do it. I’ve been playing “Call of Duty” for years, since I had PS3.

“Madden,” “Blitz.” I’m a sports guy. “2K.” If it’s not “Call of Duty,” it’s really just sports.

PG: I saw your “Madden 18” rating is 97. That’s not bad, right?

Bell: Oh, the “Madden” rating is good. Madden showed me some love this year.

For more details on “Call of Duty: WWII”, head to Polygon.

Sean Gentille: sgentille@post-gazette.com, Twitter: @seangentille

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First Published: September 19, 2017, 1:17 p.m.

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