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It's 2 years old but nevertheless still a good read.
http://www.pwnordie.com/2008/12/08/1...o-game-covers/
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12 of the Worst Pros Picked for College Video Game Covers
Selecting a player to be on the front of a video game has been anything other than an exact science. There has been a stigma attached to players on the front of the Madden Football boxes known as the “Madden Curse”. The players on these box covers have seemingly all been dealt a major career blow right after being selected to represent the latest video game.
The college games have to deal with a different process because current college student athletes are not allowed to be on the covers due to NCAA rules. Selecting a player that was hot the year before has been the common practice for the most part. Sadly the players they select often times do not amount to much after their years with their college teams. You may argue that does not matter because it is a college game and these are great college players on the covers. That is a very legitimate point but there is probably also a correlation to be drawn between the luke warm interest of the pro teams and the consumers buying the games.
All but one of these 12 players spent time on rosters in professional leagues. They all tried to extend their careers and had tough times. That fact is the basis for this list.
Name: Desmond Howard – Michigan
Cover: NCAA Football 06
Reason for Pick: Including Desmond Howard in this list was a tough call. He is the only one to be selected as a cover athlete AFTER his PRO career. On one hand that makes him an even better candidate because his NFL career was not that great. On the other hand, that gets him a bit of a pass. His Heisman pose is iconic for college football, his college career was stellar, and his pro career was decent as a punt/kick returner.
Name: Josh Childress – Stanford
Cover: ESPN College Hoops 2K5
Reason for Pick: Josh Childress developed into a pretty decent pro player for the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged double digits in points for the four seasons he was there. Now you would have a hard time getting anyone in the United States to answer correctly the question of what team he plays for now. Childress took the money and ran over seas, a move that typically means a player no longer is good enough to play in the NBA. Childress is the exception to that rule. That being said, his relevance here is all but gone and that is why he is on this list.
Name: J.J. Redick – Duke
Cover: College Hoops 2K7
Reason for Pick: The only reason J.J. Redick is this low on the list is because he is somehow in the US Olympic Team program. That reason alone is saving him a few spots on this list. There is a chance Redick will turn into a fine pro and Olympic champion, but there have been very few signs of that becoming a reality. So far as a pro he has done very little but lose his starting job and request a trade.
Name: Danny Wuerffel – Florida
Cover: NCAA Football 98
Reason for Pick: This is the first of several college quarterbacks in this list. Like the real life NFL Draft, picking QB’s to be the face of your franchise is a huge gamble. Most of them do not work out as expected, but quarterbacks still entice those in power. Wuerffel is a legend in Gainesville but did very little in the NFL. He bounced around the league for a few years with different teams. In 2000 he was the MVP in the World Bowl while playing for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe, but that is the last blip since his Heisman days at Florida.
Name: Chris Weinke – Florida State
Cover: NCAA Football 02
Reason for Pick: There was almost an #8a and an #8b in this list. Chris Weinke is strikingly similar to #9 Danny Wuerffel. Both went to school in Florida, lead their teams to national championships, won the Heisman Trophy, picked in the 4th round of the NFL Draft, and did necxt to nothing of real value in the NFL. Weinke is higher in this league because had a full season as a starter and got to start a few games later in his career. Before you think I am being hard on this serviceable QB, remember that he rattled off 15 losses in a row in a single season.
Name: Tommy Frazier – Nebraska
Cover: College Football USA 97
Reason for Pick: Tommy Frazier is yet another legendary college QB that makes this list. he is different for a few reasons though. Frazier has 3 championship MVP’s, and has been officially recognized as one of the greatest players in college football history. Another reason why he is different is because he went undrafted and has no NFL experience. The NFL skipped him over because of a serious blood clot in his leg. His college career is much better than Wuerffel and Weinke … sad thing is his pro career is just about as good.
Name: Jared Zabransky – Boise State
Cover: NCAA Football 08
Reason for Pick: Who? Jared Zabransky caught the attention of the sports world when he and the Boise State Broncos completed a 12-0 season capped off by the famous “Statue of Liberty” play in overtime of the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Like Frazier, he went undrafted by the NFL – except he didn’t have a serious blood clot in his leg as an excuse. He did sign on for brief stints with the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers, both times he was released before playing in any games. Zabransky is getting the benefit of the doubt because his career could be just getting going. Chances are if there is a similar list in a few years, he will be closer to the top.
Name: Eric Crouch – Nebraska
Cover: NCAA College Football 2K3
Reason for Pick: Eric Crouch has the same pedigree as the other QB’s on this list. He has a Heisman Trophy, plenty of other awards, and plenty of big game experience. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams to play wide receiver. He ended up on the Green Bay Packers for a bit and then the Kansas City Chiefs before they shipped him off to play safety. He finally got to play quarterback in the CFL where he was 4th string before getting hurt again and getting released. He was the 3rd overall pick in the new All-American Football League if anyone cares about that. He is the second Nebraska Husker on this list and likely second in Husker fans’ hearts behind Frazier.
Name: Jay Williams – Duke
Cover: College Basketball 2K3
Reason for Pick: I have been a Chicago Bulls fan since as far back as I can remember. There were the 6 championships with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and then there has been very little to be happy about since. Jay Williams was the #2 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft right behind Yao Ming. He played a good amount but was inconsistent in the season that he played. A very serious motorcycle crash cut his career short, he did try to get himself back in the league but was unsuccesful. Williams is high on this list because he really had a shot at being something special but never delivered. All of the players ranked lower on the list had far less expectations (except maybe Redick) for their pro careers.
Name: Joey Harrington – Oregon
Cover: NCAA Football 2003
Reason for Pick: I may be being overly hard on Joey Harrington by putting so high on this list. He has played in and started in more NFL games than probably all of the QB’s on this list, he is still even on an NFL roster (New Orleans Saints) right now. Joey is a really nice huy, but he is ranked this high because he has been nothing short of awful in his pro career. He has the lowest winning percentage of all quarterbacks EVER. The strange thing about Joey is that he keeps getting chances and keeps losing and playing generally below the level of the average QB. Most of the players on this list have done so little that fans of the pro teams they played for barely remember them. Joey has left his stain on each organization he has taken snaps for. I can personally tell you that watching Harrington trot out on the field for my Atlanta Falcons was painful, especially after he lost his job and HAD to start because of injuries to the other quarterbacks. He was resigned by the Falcons in the off-season and thankfully we cut him when we drafted Matt Ryan. Now he is the Saints problem.
Name: Jeff Sheppard – Kentucky
Cover: College Hoops 2K7
Reason for Pick: This guy should be the number one player on the list, the problem is that if I would have ended the list with him it would be about as anti-climactic as the ending of the latest Saw movie. He was a pretty decent player at Kentucky under Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith where he did win 2 championships. He played 18 games in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks and a few pre-season games with the Toronto Raptors years later. In between he spent time playing overseas. He is the only player on this list that I did not immediately recognize from the box art, or once I found out his name. Needless to say, he is the most blah pick on the list, not even the best or memorable player on his own team (Tony Delk, Ron Mercer, Scott Padgett). Did anyone notice when he retired partly because of the 9/11 attacks?
Name: Greg Oden – Ohio State
Cover: College Hoops 2K8
Reason for Pick: This is admittedly a questionable choice for the top spot. This may be a NCAA version of the “Madden Curse” or he might be completely removed from future versions of this list. Greg Oden was the top pick in the NBA Draft two years ago. His expectations are as high as can be for any incoming player, being the top pick in the draft and being a big man in the NBA. It did not help that there was another player in Kevin Durant that may have been equally deserving of the top pick. Oden was injured before playing a single game in what would have been his rookie season while Durant went on to win the Rookie of the Year award. Oden rehabbed his injury and in the first quarter of the first game in his second rookie season he was hurt again. This time he only missed two weeks. After the injury Oden was slow to get going and lost his spot in the starting lineup. I will point out that Oden is getting better and has done better coming off the bench. His play is inconsistent and certainly below the level of the top big men in the league. The Portland Trailblazers have two more option years in Oden’s contract, but so far he has been a role player at best and not worth the investment. There is a chance he will be the next Patrick Ewing or the next Michael Olowokandi it all really depends on if he stays on the court long enough to improve.
There you have it. Let us know what you think in the comments below, even if it is to flame me for picking your favorite player.
Selecting a player to be on the front of a video game has been anything other than an exact science. There has been a stigma attached to players on the front of the Madden Football boxes known as the “Madden Curse”. The players on these box covers have seemingly all been dealt a major career blow right after being selected to represent the latest video game.
The college games have to deal with a different process because current college student athletes are not allowed to be on the covers due to NCAA rules. Selecting a player that was hot the year before has been the common practice for the most part. Sadly the players they select often times do not amount to much after their years with their college teams. You may argue that does not matter because it is a college game and these are great college players on the covers. That is a very legitimate point but there is probably also a correlation to be drawn between the luke warm interest of the pro teams and the consumers buying the games.
All but one of these 12 players spent time on rosters in professional leagues. They all tried to extend their careers and had tough times. That fact is the basis for this list.
Name: Desmond Howard – Michigan
Cover: NCAA Football 06
Reason for Pick: Including Desmond Howard in this list was a tough call. He is the only one to be selected as a cover athlete AFTER his PRO career. On one hand that makes him an even better candidate because his NFL career was not that great. On the other hand, that gets him a bit of a pass. His Heisman pose is iconic for college football, his college career was stellar, and his pro career was decent as a punt/kick returner.
Name: Josh Childress – Stanford
Cover: ESPN College Hoops 2K5
Reason for Pick: Josh Childress developed into a pretty decent pro player for the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged double digits in points for the four seasons he was there. Now you would have a hard time getting anyone in the United States to answer correctly the question of what team he plays for now. Childress took the money and ran over seas, a move that typically means a player no longer is good enough to play in the NBA. Childress is the exception to that rule. That being said, his relevance here is all but gone and that is why he is on this list.
Name: J.J. Redick – Duke
Cover: College Hoops 2K7
Reason for Pick: The only reason J.J. Redick is this low on the list is because he is somehow in the US Olympic Team program. That reason alone is saving him a few spots on this list. There is a chance Redick will turn into a fine pro and Olympic champion, but there have been very few signs of that becoming a reality. So far as a pro he has done very little but lose his starting job and request a trade.
Name: Danny Wuerffel – Florida
Cover: NCAA Football 98
Reason for Pick: This is the first of several college quarterbacks in this list. Like the real life NFL Draft, picking QB’s to be the face of your franchise is a huge gamble. Most of them do not work out as expected, but quarterbacks still entice those in power. Wuerffel is a legend in Gainesville but did very little in the NFL. He bounced around the league for a few years with different teams. In 2000 he was the MVP in the World Bowl while playing for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe, but that is the last blip since his Heisman days at Florida.
Name: Chris Weinke – Florida State
Cover: NCAA Football 02
Reason for Pick: There was almost an #8a and an #8b in this list. Chris Weinke is strikingly similar to #9 Danny Wuerffel. Both went to school in Florida, lead their teams to national championships, won the Heisman Trophy, picked in the 4th round of the NFL Draft, and did necxt to nothing of real value in the NFL. Weinke is higher in this league because had a full season as a starter and got to start a few games later in his career. Before you think I am being hard on this serviceable QB, remember that he rattled off 15 losses in a row in a single season.
Name: Tommy Frazier – Nebraska
Cover: College Football USA 97
Reason for Pick: Tommy Frazier is yet another legendary college QB that makes this list. he is different for a few reasons though. Frazier has 3 championship MVP’s, and has been officially recognized as one of the greatest players in college football history. Another reason why he is different is because he went undrafted and has no NFL experience. The NFL skipped him over because of a serious blood clot in his leg. His college career is much better than Wuerffel and Weinke … sad thing is his pro career is just about as good.
Name: Jared Zabransky – Boise State
Cover: NCAA Football 08
Reason for Pick: Who? Jared Zabransky caught the attention of the sports world when he and the Boise State Broncos completed a 12-0 season capped off by the famous “Statue of Liberty” play in overtime of the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Like Frazier, he went undrafted by the NFL – except he didn’t have a serious blood clot in his leg as an excuse. He did sign on for brief stints with the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers, both times he was released before playing in any games. Zabransky is getting the benefit of the doubt because his career could be just getting going. Chances are if there is a similar list in a few years, he will be closer to the top.
Name: Eric Crouch – Nebraska
Cover: NCAA College Football 2K3
Reason for Pick: Eric Crouch has the same pedigree as the other QB’s on this list. He has a Heisman Trophy, plenty of other awards, and plenty of big game experience. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams to play wide receiver. He ended up on the Green Bay Packers for a bit and then the Kansas City Chiefs before they shipped him off to play safety. He finally got to play quarterback in the CFL where he was 4th string before getting hurt again and getting released. He was the 3rd overall pick in the new All-American Football League if anyone cares about that. He is the second Nebraska Husker on this list and likely second in Husker fans’ hearts behind Frazier.
Name: Jay Williams – Duke
Cover: College Basketball 2K3
Reason for Pick: I have been a Chicago Bulls fan since as far back as I can remember. There were the 6 championships with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and then there has been very little to be happy about since. Jay Williams was the #2 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft right behind Yao Ming. He played a good amount but was inconsistent in the season that he played. A very serious motorcycle crash cut his career short, he did try to get himself back in the league but was unsuccesful. Williams is high on this list because he really had a shot at being something special but never delivered. All of the players ranked lower on the list had far less expectations (except maybe Redick) for their pro careers.
Name: Joey Harrington – Oregon
Cover: NCAA Football 2003
Reason for Pick: I may be being overly hard on Joey Harrington by putting so high on this list. He has played in and started in more NFL games than probably all of the QB’s on this list, he is still even on an NFL roster (New Orleans Saints) right now. Joey is a really nice huy, but he is ranked this high because he has been nothing short of awful in his pro career. He has the lowest winning percentage of all quarterbacks EVER. The strange thing about Joey is that he keeps getting chances and keeps losing and playing generally below the level of the average QB. Most of the players on this list have done so little that fans of the pro teams they played for barely remember them. Joey has left his stain on each organization he has taken snaps for. I can personally tell you that watching Harrington trot out on the field for my Atlanta Falcons was painful, especially after he lost his job and HAD to start because of injuries to the other quarterbacks. He was resigned by the Falcons in the off-season and thankfully we cut him when we drafted Matt Ryan. Now he is the Saints problem.
Name: Jeff Sheppard – Kentucky
Cover: College Hoops 2K7
Reason for Pick: This guy should be the number one player on the list, the problem is that if I would have ended the list with him it would be about as anti-climactic as the ending of the latest Saw movie. He was a pretty decent player at Kentucky under Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith where he did win 2 championships. He played 18 games in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks and a few pre-season games with the Toronto Raptors years later. In between he spent time playing overseas. He is the only player on this list that I did not immediately recognize from the box art, or once I found out his name. Needless to say, he is the most blah pick on the list, not even the best or memorable player on his own team (Tony Delk, Ron Mercer, Scott Padgett). Did anyone notice when he retired partly because of the 9/11 attacks?
Name: Greg Oden – Ohio State
Cover: College Hoops 2K8
Reason for Pick: This is admittedly a questionable choice for the top spot. This may be a NCAA version of the “Madden Curse” or he might be completely removed from future versions of this list. Greg Oden was the top pick in the NBA Draft two years ago. His expectations are as high as can be for any incoming player, being the top pick in the draft and being a big man in the NBA. It did not help that there was another player in Kevin Durant that may have been equally deserving of the top pick. Oden was injured before playing a single game in what would have been his rookie season while Durant went on to win the Rookie of the Year award. Oden rehabbed his injury and in the first quarter of the first game in his second rookie season he was hurt again. This time he only missed two weeks. After the injury Oden was slow to get going and lost his spot in the starting lineup. I will point out that Oden is getting better and has done better coming off the bench. His play is inconsistent and certainly below the level of the top big men in the league. The Portland Trailblazers have two more option years in Oden’s contract, but so far he has been a role player at best and not worth the investment. There is a chance he will be the next Patrick Ewing or the next Michael Olowokandi it all really depends on if he stays on the court long enough to improve.
There you have it. Let us know what you think in the comments below, even if it is to flame me for picking your favorite player.
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