Since 2000, the Madden video game franchise has had a star player grace its cover. Prior to that, the late legendary coach and the game’s namesake, John Madden, was front and center. But which school has produced the most cover athletes over the years?
Every Madden Cover Athlete by School
College of San Mateo – 1
- 1988-1993: John Madden, College of San Mateo
- Madden NFL 94: John Madden
- Madden NFL 95: John Madden
- Madden NFL 96: John Madden
- Madden NFL 97-99: John Madden
- Madden NFL 2000: John Madden
- Madden NFL 23: John Madden
Oklahoma State – 1
- Madden NFL 25 (Xbox 360 and PS3): Barry Sanders, RB
Ohio State – 1
- Madden NFL 2001: Eddie George, RB
UCF – 1
- Madden NFL 2002: Daunte Culpepper, QB
San Diego State – 1
- Madden NFL 2003: Marshall Faulk, RB
Virginia Tech – 1
- Madden NFL 2004: Michael Vick, QB
Miami (FL) – 1
- Madden NFL 2005: Ray Lewis, LB
Syracuse – 1
- Madden NFL 06: Donovan McNabb, QB
Alabama – 1
- Madden NFL 07: Shaun Alexander, RB
Texas – 1
- Madden NFL 08: Vince Young, QB
Southern Miss – 1
- Madden NFL 09: Brett Favre, QB
USC – 1
- Madden NFL 10: Troy Polamalu, S
Pitt – 1
- Madden NFL 10: Larry Fitzgerald, WR
Purdue – 1
- Madden NFL 11: Drew Brees, QB
Arkansas -1
- Madden NFL 12: Peyton Hillis, RB
Georgia Tech – 1
- Madden NFL 13: Calvin Johnson, WR
Oklahoma – 1
- Madden NFL 25 (Xbox One and PS4): Adrian Peterson, RB
Stanford – 2
- Madden NFL 15: Richard Sherman, CB
- Madden NFL 25: Christian McCaffrey, RB
LSU – 1
- Madden NFL 16: Odell Beckham Jr., WR
Arizona – 1
- Madden NFL 17: Rob Gronkowski, TE
Michigan – 1
- Madden NFL 18: Tom Brady, QB
- Madden NFL 22: Tom Brady, QB
Central Michigan – 1
- Madden NFL 19: Antonio Brown, WR
Texas Tech – 1
- Madden NFL 20: Patrick Mahomes, QB
Louisville – 1
- Madden NFL 21: Lamar Jackson, QB
Wyoming – 1
- Madden NFL 24: Josh Allen, QB
Background/Alternative Madden Cover Athletes by School
Notre Dame – 1
- Madden NFL 94 PAL Version: Ricky Watters, RB
Central State – 1
- Madden NFL 95 Background: Erik Williams, OL
LSU – 1
- Madden NFL 95 Background: Karl Wilson, DL
SMU – 1
- Madden NFL 96 Background: Cary Brabham, DB
Boston College – 1
- Madden NFL 96 Background: Gordon Laro, TE
Georgia – 1
- Madden NFL 99 PAL Version: Garrison Hearst, RB
Oklahoma State – 1
- Madden NFL 2000 Background: Barry Sanders, RB
Georgia Tech – 1
- Madden NFL 2000 European PAL Version: Dorsey Levens, RB
College of San Mateo – 1
- Madden NFL 07 Hall of Fame Edition: John Madden
Northwestern – 1
- Madden NFL 08 Spanish Language Version: Luis Castillo, OL
Texas A&M-Kingsville – 1
- Madden NFL 09 Spanish Language Version: Roberto Garza, OL
Chattanooga – 1
- Madden NFL 19 Hall of Fame Edition: Terrell Owens, WR
Christian McCaffrey Named Madden 25 Cover Athlete
The newest cover features the San Francisco 49ers’ elite running back, who generated ridiculous numbers en route to a Super Bowl appearance last season: 272 carries, 1,459 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 67 receptions, 564 receiving yards, and seven TDs.
Your official #Madden25 Cover Athlete @CMC_22
🏆 NFL Rushing Yards Leader
🏆 2023 OPOY
🏆 Madden NFL Cover AthleteComing 8.16.24. Pre-Order Now
🔗: https://t.co/NpB7qARx5m pic.twitter.com/XSOwlDarfT— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) June 11, 2024
Stanford fans aren’t surprised by McCaffrey’s NFL stardom, as he first lit up the field for the Cardinal. He set Stanford records for career TDs (33), single-season 100-yard rushing games (11), single-season rushing yards (2,019), single-game rushing yards (284), and single-game rushing TDs (four).
But that wasn’t all, as he became the first player in Rose Bowl history with 100 yards rushing and receiving and broke the NCAA’s single-season all-purpose yards record in 2015 (3,864).
As you can imagine, with McCaffrey’s on-field success came the awards.
2015:
- Associated Press Player of the Year
- Consensus All-American
- Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
- Pac-12 Championship Game MVP (2015)
- Rose Bowl Offensive Player of the Game (2015)
- Hornung Award winner (2015)
- Jet Award winner (2015)
- Chic Harley Award winner (2015)
- Maxwell Award finalist (2015)
- Doak Walker Award finalist (2015)
- Walter Camp Player of the Year finalist (2015)
KEEP READING: Most NFL Draft Picks by School
2016:
- Consensus All-American
- First-team All-Pac-12
- Wuerffel Award finalist
- Paul Hornung Award finalist
- Maxwell Award semifinalist
- Doak Walker Award semifinalist
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