Jock Shams: The 10 Strangest Cover Athletes In Video Games

Sure, Peyton Hillis is an odd choice for the cover of NFL Madden 12, but is it as head-scratching a choice as any of these guys?

May 02, 2011
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Madden NFL 12high school

whenThe Top 10 Strangest Cover Athletes in Video Games

By Ebenezer Samuel

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10. Sam Cassell

NBA Shootout (PSX, 1996)
Shootout

alien-

NBA Shootout

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9. Dontrelle Willis

MLB Slugfest (Xbox/PS2, 2006)
Slugfest

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8. Bernie Williams

MLB 98 (PSX, 1998)
maybe

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7. Joe Forte

NCAA Final Four 2002 (PS2, 2001)
NCAA March Madness 2010NCAA

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6. Rob Van Dam

Wrestlemania X8 (GBA, 2001)
Wrestlemania X8

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5. Eric Chavez

MLB 2005 (PS2, 2004)
MLB 2005

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4. Marcus Camby

NBA In the Zone (PSX/N64, 2000)
In the Zone

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3. Keith Van Horn

NBA Jam ’99 (N64/GBC, 1999)
NBA Jam

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2. Kendall GIll

NBA Action (Genesis, 1994)

1994 was actually a good year for basketball. Hakeem Olajuwon was leading the Rockets against the Knicks, and Patrick Ewing (who, by the way, is the only superstar center from the ’90s era to never appear on a gaming cover), David Robinson, and Charles Barkley were in their primes. All were great game faces, but who does Sega choose on its cover?


Some guy named Kendall Gill shooting a lame half jump-hook.

Sure, Gill wasn’t a bad player—the smooth 6-6 swingman averaged more than 20 ppg twice in his career. But he was hardly a star. We could maybe see if he was delivering a YouTube-worthy cram over some nascent shotblocker here. You know, something to grab our attention. But he’s shooting a JUMP HOOK. No wonder the Genesis fell out of favor a few years later.

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1. Kordell Stewart

NFL ’97 (Saturn, 1996)
NFL Blitz (N64, 1998)

Don’t hate on Sega too much, though. After all, just two years later, after an even bigger "breakout" year that included 21 TD passes and 17 interceptions, a digitally muscled-up Stewart landed on the cover of NFL Blitz. It was his last major gaming endorsement, and just as bad as his first one. The worst part of it all? NFL games typically do a great job choosing cover athletes, going with big names and taking few risks. Except for Stewart. And Hillis....

Video GamesSports GamesEA SportsMadden

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