Richard Sherman, cornerback of the Seattle Seahawks, has been chosen by popular vote to be the next cover athlete of the "Madden 15" video game which is set to be released in August 15.
Sherman rose to fame and became a trending topic on social media for his post-game rant against Michael Crabtree when the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, writes Bleacher Report. He was also named one of the "100 Most Influential People" in Time Magazine's latest roster. To top that, he was invited to a White House correspondents' dinner, where no less than U.S. President Barack Obama tried to imitate his famous rant. The third defensive player also extended his contract with the team in May, in a monster deal that will pay him $56 million over a four-year period.
For the cover of "Madden 15," Sherman beat Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, as the decision was based on fan votes, writes NFL.com. Both stated their case to appeal to voters, but in the end it was the cornerback that got the much coveted spot. He becomes the third defensive player to ever be the cover of a video game and the second Seahawks player (the first being Shaun Alexander in 2006). In 2013, NFL Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders was on the cover.
According to ESPN, some people think that while being on the "Madden 15" cover is a huge win for any athlete, it may also carry some sort of jinx. Since 2000, when the game started featuring athletes on the cover, the highlighted personalities have experienced injuries or a generally bad year in the season they appeared. It is important to note that this are just superstitions, of course. All that aside, Sherman has shown that he is certainly one of the best personalities in the NFL and, no doubt, one of the most talked about.
EA Sports "Madden 15" will be out on August 26 and will be on the PS3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.