Blue White Illustrated

AIR SUPPORT Former Nittany Lion pass-catchers O.J. McDuffie and Troy Drayton visit Afghanistan to bring troops a taste of home were signing autographs on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, but they didn't see anything amiss. For another, no one around them seemed worried. Although everyone seemed to be on alert all the time, and everyone was wearing a sidearm or car- rying a rifle, no one had drawn a gun. And the biggest thing, for both former Nittany Lions, was the company they were keeping on that late September day. "We felt safe," McDuffie said. "It was probably the best offensive line I've played behind." Added Drayton: "What did we really W have to be worried about when you're protected by the world's finest soldiers?" And so they kept signing – and chatting with the servicemen and women who had lined up to see them. The former Nittany Lions spent 13 days this fall in Afghanistan, touring with four | hen the bomb went off, O.J. McDuffie wasn't worried. Nei- ther was Troy Drayton. For one thing, it was far away, relatively speaking. They could hear the noise as they cheerleaders from the Miami Dolphins, their former NFL team, and visiting with U.S. military personnel. The cheerleaders did a show. There were trivia contests. Question-and-answer sessions. And sometimes, McDuffie and Drayton just sat around and played cards or dominos with the soldiers. "We just tried to lighten the mood," McDuffie said. "They call it Groundhog Day – each day is the same, over and over and over – so we wanted to break up the monotony." And they wanted to show their respect. "It's 1 percent of our total population protecting our borders," McDuffie said. "It's important for me to go over and let them know how much we appreciate that." Both men have family members in the military. Drayton's best friend growing up, Glenn Yetter, is serving his third tour of Afghanistan as a member of the Army Reserve (they got to hang out on the trip), and Drayton said that had foot- ball not worked out, the military would have been his "second option." "We just don't understand the sacrifices that these men and women make every day," he said. "And they don't get the recognition they deserve." Both McDuffie and Drayton have stayed involved with the Dolphins since retiring from the NFL, McDuffie as a radio an- nouncer (he hosts "Inside Dolphins" for two hours every evening) and Drayton as a member of the team's youth and

• Cover