Who will be the PS3 NCAA Football 09 cover athlete?
April 17, 2008 by pastapadre
On Tuesday I went over the top candidates for the Madden 09 cover. That, along with the PS3 cover of NCAA Football 09, are expected to be announced late next week. With the most obvious cover athlete candidate Darren McFadden already announced as exclusive to the 360 it opens up the opportunity for another high profile player to take the PS3 cover. EA Sports has stated that each cover will represent a different region so with McFadden the south is already taken. Lets look at the most likely candidates.
QBs: Matt Ryan (East), Brian Brohm (Central), Dennis Dixon & Colt Brennan (West)
RBs: Jonathan Stewart (West), Rashard Mendenhall (Central/North)
WRs: DeSean Jackson (West)
Defense: Chris Long (East), Glenn Dorsey (South)
In all likelihood EA will seek another highly recognizable name for the PS3 version. It, along with the 360 version, will by far get the most promotion. In contrast it wouldn’t surprise me if the PS2 cover went to a player from an FCS school. Dorsey can be eliminated due to his proximity to McFadden and EA’s statement that there will be different regions represented on each cover. DeSean Jackson has the best chance at wide receiver and provided excitement on the field but may not be a big enough name.
Look to Matt Ryan, Rashard Mendenhall, and Chris Long as the odds on favorites. They all come from different regions than McFadden and are expected to go in the top 15 of the draft. Mendenhall may be the least likely of the three given that they’ve already selected a running back for the 360 cover and they may want to differentiate between the two.
Generally it would be tough to justify putting a defensive player on the cover of NCAA Football. Only one has even made it and that was Charles Woodson in 1999. Most collegiate defensive players aren’t recognizable to the general public in the way that a QB or RB is. Chris Long has some more exposure though given his dad, Howie, is an NFL Hall of Famer and studio analyst on Fox.
If you go by the ghosted cover art that EA has on the game’s official website the player appears to be a QB. Now, the placeholder cover is usually not the silhouette of the eventual cover athlete. Interestingly though they do have a different one for each of the covers yet to be announced instead of just one generic silhouette. So for the sake of discussion I went through looking at different images of the QBs that may be considered for the cover. It looks as though the two that fit are Matt Ryan and Dennis Dixon, with strong leanings toward Ryan. I especially concentrated on the off-hand which is rather distinctive. Take a look at the two images of the players below. Others such as Brian Brohm and Colt Brennan don’t seem to match up.
So when it comes down to it the PS3 cover athlete will probably boil down to Matt Ryan vs Chris Long. Given the placeholder cover (which may be more than a coincidence here) and the prestige position he plays Ryan tops the list with Long the runner-up.
Hart for north, come on, Hart for north
You really can’t go wrong with Matt Ryan or Chris Long. Both are stand up guys and great football players. If it does come down to these two I agree with you Pasta, give the edge to Ryan because of the position he plays.
Hart.
Michael Crabtree for sure. Crank dat Crabtree babyyy!!!
They should just leave it blank being that the PS3 version is never up to par with 360. I mean I always had a PS2 before making the switch to next gen & I was really looking forward to getting a PS3 but after getting a 360 I don’t see the need to. This is coming from a guy who never played regular Xbox. The PS3 versions have not been as good as the 360’s yet. The framerate is finally at 60fps this year(So they say) & yet the PS3 is supposed to be more powerful with the Cell Processor? WTF? I know the PS3 is “more difficult to develop for” but so far I can’t see justifying purchasing a PS3 especially being that it cost more than 360 & 360’s online blows it out of the water.
I hope its denis dixon. Go Oregon!
i would like to see long because they never put defenders on the cover ray lewis on madden was the only one
What About Tebow.Heisman Winner.Duh
pat wrote:
Hey, Pat. Charles Woodson was on 99. Also, I think it would be sweet to see Leodis Mckelvin on there. Also this CapitalOneChamps, just signed up.
mj23 wrote:
Can’t, still in College. Probably be on 2010 or 2011, which year he goes pro.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IfiKBB_qYvg
GMSFootballa54 wrote:
Then How Come they didn’t put Troy Smith on it Last year
Because he wasnt that good tard
mj23 wrote:
Because he isnt a big enough name and he went in the 4th round of the draft.
they but Jared Zabransky on last years coverwho went undrafted and troy smith is better then him
I hope to god its not Ryan the guy is WAAAAAAAAAAY overrated. If it is a QB let it be Dixon who ws having the better season before he blew his knee out.
Braden wrote:
Zabransky was part of one of the most memorable bowl games in recent years that can (to the delight of the media) be summed up in just one exciting and almost improbable play that still has legs to this day (that No Cinderallas commercial).
It’s much easier to put a quarterback on the cover, the offensive leader known for that play, than Ian Johnson, a good running back in his own right, but with little flash, –unless you count the proposal to his girlfriend after the score–and charisma and notoriety outside of the Pacific Northwest.
Braden wrote:
They did that because he played in one of, if not the, greatest college football game of all time and made the greatest play in that game (statue of liberty). And why would EA sports put Troy Smith on the cover when he got his ass handed to him against Florida? Sure he won the Heisman but he sucked in his final college game.
Well Pasta that sillouette doesn’t mean a thing since it is a pretty standard take away for a QB. There are plenty of Colt Bennan Photos that have that look and I am sure there are some for every QB.
Colt Brennan holds just about every NCAA QB record and that is something that can’t be ignored. Now I am not saying that Colt will on the PS3 cover but certainly the PS2 cover at least.
Last year Jarad Zabransky got on the cover b/c of the bowl game victory, and he wasn’t even drafted by the NFL.
Colt led the Warriors to and undefeated season and a BCS bowl bid just like Zabransky. Colt was also a Heismann finalist as well. I have to say I like his chances over anyone else.
Dre wrote:
Dennis Dixon is the prototypical example of what not to draft as an NFL Quarterback. All legs no game. If he goes to the NFL it had better be as a WR b/c he will be just another Mike Vick no talent at QB.
QBing with your legs is just delaying the inevitible. If you got game and a brain between your ears, you don’t need to run for 100 yds a game as a QB. NFL teams will figure you out and pummel you. That is why Vick is sorry. He’s just a mediocre QB with speed.
o well i didnt know about woodson but we still need more defense on da cover
Timothy Daley wrote:
^^^^^^
This is the reason why there are quotes…because something truthful like this cant go without it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=B63e_zjS3t4
Video on the ps3 coverboy
mj23 wrote:
MJ, Tebow will be on the cover. He is a beast. Michigan won that game, but Tebo almost beat us by himself.
I say Ryan, no way are they putting running backs on both covers.
You think an FCS player on PS2?!?!?!??!?!? YEA RIGHT. EA has shown over and over and over again that they don’t care AT ALL about FCS. App. St. who? They probably refuse to accept the fact that the Mich-App. St. game ever happened. Every year the FCS rosters are about 2-4 years out of date depending on the team and ALWAYS the players are rated so incredible bad that a mediocre high school team could beat up on them. Plus on the next-gen consoles EA has truly shown how much they don’t care by not including FCS for THREE straight years. An FCS player as the PS2 cover. Come on man, you know EA better than that.
Guraantee it will be Matt Ryan…. I really think the silouhette picture is the actual player, and it’s definitely Matt Ryan….
Timothy Daley wrote:
Why does everyone think that all QB that has the ability to run is going to be the next Mike Vick. When Steve Young first entered the league he was a runner first an passer second until he sent to the 49er’s an flourished in that offense. So you just can’t assume Dixon will suck because of that. When Ryan Leaf came out he was the next great white hope but, turned into the Great White Hopeless.
Dre wrote:
You are exactly right. Did any of you even watch Dixon this year? He is not just legs, he has a very good arm. It’s strong and accurate. Just to clarify though..if you are a QB and you can run over 100 yards in a game then that means you have no brain and you will suck in the NFL? Maybe you should tell Pryor that so he stops wasting his time playing football. That’s just ridiculous.
Dre wrote:
Big difference. Steve Young only ran when he had to. He wasn’t running to amass 100yd games. Also Steve Young Actually was a great QB.
Dixon, Vick, etc are mediocre QB’s at best but have the speed of a WR or RB so they can get away with being poor QB’s. I’m sorry but a running QB has never and will never be anything in the NFL. If you can’t make the throws then you won’t win. Period.
Brett wrote:
Yea Dixon crushed Michigan all by himself this past year, which hurts me to say seeming as how I love the Wolverines, but it’s true. It could have been 11 on 1 and Oregon still would have won. If he hadn’t gotten hurt they might have gone to the National Championship game and he probably would have won the Heisman. He should be at least okay in the NFL. He definitely won’t be another Akili Smith.
Brett wrote:
Name me one QB in the NFL that has a successful career that primarily runs all the time. There are none. Lets look at some of the greatest QB’s of all time. Marino, Montanna, Elway, Young, Bradshaw, Staubach, Brady, Manning, Favre. I could keep going on but I hope you can see the point. These guys aren’t known for there legs. They are known for there skill at throwing the ball. True Elway and Young had speed but they didn’t rely on it 75% of the time like a vick.
HART
I agree, Hart… But, it will be Ryan.
whats with the mike hart love? is it just cause hes from michigan? the guy is projected to go in the late rounds of the draft. there are so many runningbacks who are more exciting than him. rashard mendenhall, jonathan stewart, felix jones, chris johnson, ray rice, jamaal charles, kevin smith, and steve slayton just off the top of my head.
Timothy Daley wrote:
When Steve Young came into the league all he did was run because that was his best asset, he said so himself when he retired. The only reason he started focusing on his passing game is becuase he got tired of the punishment he was taking by scrambling. LIKE I SAID it was only after he came to San Fran that he became a great passer. He was in Tampa before that an he was strictly a runner first, but his game evoled after time in that system.
lennyjr wrote:
Put Harts stats next to the boys you just mentioned, all time Michigan leading rusher and 4 year starter in the Big ten….
Anything is possible, that dude from Boise State was on there… And Troy Smith won the Heisman.
Im from Columbus (Buckeye state), and know that Hart is a pure beast…
Late Rounds means nothing, look up Tom Brady, Jones-Drew, Anqaun Boldin, Antonio Gates (wasnt even drafted) and the list goes on… Dont get caught up in the Mel Kiper dreams bro.
It won’t be Hart since he is from the same region as Sparty
Patrick wrote:
u cant put a person who is still playing college football on the cover. its against NCAA policy. y do u think all of the candidates are either seniors or declared for the draft. come on think
By the way, while we are on this whole “athletic quarterbacks who run first can’t play” thing…there is a guy named Josh Johnson from San Diego who is coming into the 2008 draft and scouts says he is going to be great. He threw for 43 touchdowns and 1 interception in his senior year (I know just awful stats for someone who runs first and passes second). It’s really going to be a shame when these guys pan out and your comments make you look like an idiot.
Hey pasta do you know anything about demos or when the demo will come out.
soonerhomie12 wrote:
I’d imagine they’ll put out the demo a week before releasing the game. That’s what they did with 08 and 07.
Ryan wrote:
Exactly man. The only reason why QB’s that can run usually aren’t great passers is because they never had a coach develop them. It’s all about winning and if you’re a college coach and can win the national championship with Vince Young rushing for 200 yards and passing for 150 a game then why the hell would you mess with that? If you win as a coach then you make more money. Why do you think Pryor went to Ohio St over Michigan? Tressel can develop him better as a passing QB better than Rich R. can. To make a statement that just because you can run as a QB means you will suck is stupid. They have the talent and the arm strength, it just needs developed. The reason why QB’s that can’t run are the majority of great passers is because that’s all they can do to win a game so that’s what they have been working on their whole life. It doesn’t mean they have better arms. And if running QB’s really had no chance to make it in the NFL then i doubt a team would take them with their first pick. They obviously have the skills to be a great QB and that team feels that they can bring them out.
HAAARRTTT
shoeprint wrote:
You have no idea what you’re talking about. But okay, since you asked, I’ll compare Mike Hart’s stats to Kevin Smith’s stats. Kevin Smith just ran for the second most yards EVER in a single season. And, if he ran for 700 less yards next year as opposed to going pro, he would be the all time NCAA rushing leader. But congrats to Hart for starting all 4 years and being the all time leader at Michigan. I’m willing to bet very few people got to start all 4 years there, so it’s not too surprising that he’s the top of the list. That’s probably what a 4.67 40-Yard Dash gets you.
Here’s a list of stats from last year:
Kevin Smith - 2567 Yds, 5.7 yds/carry
Ray Rice - 2012 Yds, 5.3 yds/carry
Jonathon Stewart - 1722 Yds, 6.2 yds/carry
Rashard Mendenhall - 1681 Yds, 6.1 yds/carry
Jamaal Charles - 1619 Yds, 6.3 yds/carry
Chris Johnson - 1423 Yds, 6.0 yds/carry
Mike Hart - 1361 Yds, 5.1 yds/carry
Felix Jones - 1162 Yds, 8.7 yds/carry
Steve Slaton - 1051 Yds, 5.0 yds/carry
So, Mike Hart is only ahead of Felix Jones and Steve Slaton but Jones was a backup to McFadden and you can see that his yds/carry is amazing, so Hart is really only better statistically than Slaton. Also, in case you feel like you you have conference superiority in the Big Ten, Mendenhall’s stats for this season are better in every way than any of the years that Hart had as a starter at Michigan.
Also, Maurice Jones-Drew and Anquan Boldin were both drafted in the second round, so you just like to imagine that you’re right for both topics. Also, I could be wrong about this, but didn’t Gates only play basketball at Kent State hence, wouldn’t the idea of him not being drafted for football be ridiculous?
Vernon Gholston they need to put some linemen in
No one of those players was more the “HART” and sould of their team as hart was. And don’t look at one season, look at his body of work. Hart is more known then Mendenhall too
At Michigan … four-year letterman … nation’s active career leader in rushing … holds six U-M career rushing marks … holds school records with 28 career 100-yard rushing games and 12 contests with better than 150 yards … his five career 200-yard rushing efforts is also a school record … U-M has a 24-4 record when he gains 100 rushing yards … played in 43 career games, making 39 starts at tailback … holds U-M career record with an average of 116.9 yards rushing per contest … holds school records for career rushing yards (5,040) and rushing attempts (1,015) … fourth on the Big Ten’s career rushing list … third on U-M’s career rushing touchdown list (41) … has scored 43 career touchdowns, 41 rushing and two receiving … caught 67 passes for 566 yards (8.4 avg.) and two TDs during career … fifth among running backs in career receiving yards and sixth in receptions … 2006 All-American … two-time Doak Walker Award finalist (2006-07) … fifth place finisher in 2006 Heisman Trophy balloting … two-time All-Big Ten first team (2004, 2006) … 2007 All-Big Ten second team … two-time Bo Schembechler Award as team MVP (shared in 2006 and 2007)… 2004 Freshman All-American … 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Woody31992 wrote:
I’m with you on that, bro.
Woody31992 wrote:
Fine, you want to look at his entire body of work. During Hart’s tenure at Michigan, Michigan played 50 games. Hart was injured for 7 games and thus only played in 43 games. Anthony Thomas was the previous record holder at Michigan with 4472 yards. When starting all 4 years, you would need only 89.44 yards/game to tie Thomas. For Hart, he would need to average 104 yards/game because of the injuries. While it would take a good player to beat that, it would not necessarily mean that the player was anything special. It just means he did his job effectively. But now everyone is stating how special he is just because he started all 4 years. He’s not special for not having any competition at the position. Do you really think he’s better than say Tyrone Wheatley who had 327 less attempts than Hart but still had 6 more career touchdowns? Just because he has more “hart”. I hate to keep using Kevin Smith as an example, but Kevin Smith was much more than just the heart at UCF, he was basically the entire team. And in case you guys don’t follow UCF, he was just as much of a team leader as Hart, if not moreso. The only difference is that Hart played at Michigan.
But since I like to use stats to prove my point, here’s the ranking of total yards, yards/game, and yards/career carry total(stipulation of at least 1 rush per game, even if they have 0 yds) for all of those players who didn’t have the benefit of no competition at the position:
Smith* - 4679 yds - 129.97 yds/game - 5.2 yds/car. cry
Rice* - 4926 yds - 129.63 yds/game - 5.4 yds/car. cry
Hart - 5040 yds - 117.21 yds/game - 5.0 yds/car. cry
Slaton* - 3923 - 112.09 yds/game - 5.8 yds/car. cry
Charles* - 3328 yds - 87.58 yds/game - 6.2 yds/car. cry
Stewart* - 2891 yds - 80.31 yds/game - 5.6 yds/car. cry
Jones* - 2954 yds - 77.74 yds/game - 7.6 yds/car. cry
Mendenhall* - 2539 yds - 72.54 yds/game - 6.5 yds/car. cry
Johnson - 2982 yds - 62.13 yds/game - 4.8 yds/car. cry
* = Denote Junior status
It’s fairly easy to see which players started most of their career. And yet again, Hart is one of the worst at yards/career carry out of those players. So, it would be safe to assume that basically all of these players could’ve, at worst, done what Hart did. He is highly ranked in total yards and yards/game but that just proves my point that his stats are inflated by being a starter for 4 years when these other players with higher yds/carry numbers not starting until the sophomore or even junior years.
I’ve got nothing against Hart. I really do think he’s a very good player and it’s hard to argue otherwise. I’m willing to bet that he’s one of the toughest competitors in the draft but the reality is that he is being grossly overrated just because he was a 4 year starter at Michigan. There’s a reason he’s not projected to be drafted earlier than the 4th round and it’s because he’s not one of the best.
Oh, I just realized that with your comment about Hart being more known, that you were referring to him being on the cover. I completely agree. He is much more marketable than most if not all of those names and definitely deserves to be on one of the covers. The topic got off on a tangent somewhere earlier when someone was talking about who was the better player or something like that. But yeah, Hart on the cover sounds good to me.