NCAA Football Cover Curse?

When I reported earlier in the week that Desean Jackson was going to appear on the Playstation 2’s version of NCAA Football 09, my excitement was somewhat stifled by my friend’s response after I told him the news. He said, “Hope he doesn’t get the EA curse.”

Huh.

Was there such a thing for NCAA Football? Most self respecting Madden videogame and/or NFL fans are aware of the infamous Madden Curse with NFL pro players. For those of you not in the know, it’s been well publicized that nearly every player who has had the honor but eventual misfortune of gracing the cover of each year’s version of Madden Football, has found their career set in crap stick reverse afterwards. Sometimes it takes mere months, sometimes it takes seasons, but sooner or later, big bad John Madden is going to get ya.

So I wasn’t completely sure about NCAA’s cover stars, so I decided to do some investigating and see what misfortunes if any, have struck those who’ve been forever ingrained on the covers of past iterations of NCAA Football.

[Editor's Note: Using the Curse Rating System. 1 = No evidence of a curse at all, 10 = living proof of a curse]

NCAA Football 08 – Jared Zabranksy.

Zabransky was the second athlete featured on the cover that was not drafted in the NFL following his senior year of college. So why was he even featured in the first place? He just happened to be the QB who led one of the most amazing finishes to one of the most amazing games in college football history. That's all.

Zabransky was signed as a free agent with the Houston Texans last year, before he was eventually cut in September. In February, he has reportedly signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Curse Rating: NA

NCAA Football 07 – Reggie Bush.

The "most electrifying player in college football" pre-Desean Jackson, has done okay in the NFL in his short two years. Only rushing for 565 yards for 6 TDs (3.6 YPC) in his rookie campaign, he however, caught 742 yards receiving, with two TDs. While not having the type of rookie impact that Adrian Peterson or even Marshawn Lynch would have a year later, Bush was an important part of the Saints’ turnaround.

Bush would have a more disappointing 2007 campaign with just 6 total Touchdowns, and 581 yards rushing, 3.6 YPC, and only 417 yards receiving. The numbers while comparable to his first year's, mask the fact that more was expected of Bush coming into his sophomore campaign. People began getting nervous when Mario Williams had as many sacks last season as Bush had touchdowns in his entire career. Umm…

Where the emergence of a curse really begins brewing though is in the allegations that Reggie Bush received $291,000 in illegal cash, a car and other goods from sports agent Lloyd Lake in his time at USC. Don Yaeger’s Book, Tarnished Heisman gives a detailed breakdown of what is believed to be the events surrounding the case. Bush will have to give his deposition in June, and if he is found to be guilty of the charges, the proverbial crap storm would fly in a lot of people’s faces. Heisman trophy gone. And if USC is found to have known about all this? Eesh. National Championships, gone. Winning seasons, gone.

So this one is pending, but if it is true, Bush could become the NCAA Cover Curse Cover Boy.

Curse Rating: 8/10 (Pending)

NCAA Football 06 – Desmond Howard.

Desmond Howard? WTH? Didn’t he win the Heisman back in 1991? Well EA’s new Race for the Heisman mode that year prompted them to go old school, and pick a Heisman winner from back in the day. And who better than the player who actually struck the Heisman pose late in the season after returning a punt for a touchdown?

Unproductive as a receiver, Howard would go on to only net 123 catches for 1,597 yards, and 7 TDs in his 11-season career in the pros. To give you some context , Randy Moss had 98 catches, 1,493 yards, and 23 TDs last season. However, Howard excelled as a punt and kick-off returner on special teams, with his most notable return being his 99-yard kick-off return in Super Bowl XXXI that sealed their victory against the New England Patriots. You can catch him now on the College Gameday Set with Herbstreit, Corso, and Fowler.

Curse Rating: 5/10.

NCAA Football 2005 – Larry Fitzgerald

Already a multiple time pro-bowler, Fitzgerald has become a franchise wide receiver. Benefiting from a pass-heavy offense with the Arizona Cardinals, Fitzgerald has already had league-best receiving seasons. While he hasn't quite put himself in the same echelon as receivers like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, or Marvin Harrison, Fitzgerald has put himself on that path quite quickly in his short career.

Curse Rating: 2/10

NCAA Football 2004 – Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer has done almost everything you could expect of a Heisman trophy winning quarterback and a #1 overall draft pick. He's become the face of the franchise, and has the records to back him up.

There are 2 factors though that have the Curse Gods getting a tad bit excited:

1) Palmer's working on a bump knee after tearing it in the 2005 playoff game against the Steelers. While he's bounced back well, he's one bad hit away from hanging it up for good.

2) He plays for the Bengals. It's becoming increasingly evident that this team isn't really going anywhere. And his wide outs are flaking. Big time. Chad Johnson? Chris Henry?

(Dane Cook voice) "Ummm...hello?"

Curse Rating: 3/10

NCAA Football 2003 – Joey Harrington

Joey Joey Joey. Example of Tedford student who can't put it together in the pros. Franchise Savior to 1st Round Draft Bust. NFL Journeyman QB. Joey Harrington is a lot of things to a lot of different fans and players.

In my personal opinion, Harrington hasn't had a real fair shake with any of the teams he's been with. You can look at a lot of reasons why Harrington hasn't been able to find consistent success with his teams. Crappy teams. Bad coaching. Being thrust into starting roles when not ready. Who knows. It's easily disputable as to whether Harrington is just not cut out to be an NFL starting QB or whether the circumstances have never panned themselves out for him. Even so, it's still hard to give the guy anything lower than a 6.

Curse Rating: 6/10

NCAA Football 2002 – Chris Weinke

Chris Weinke had the unfortunate displeasure of being thrust into a starting role with the Carolina Panthers in his rookie season. The good news was that he would go on to win his first game. The bad news was that he would go on to lose the next 17. That's an NFL record. Even Joe Ayoob's 10 straight incompletions in the 2005 Sacramento St. game thinks that's intense.

Yeah...Weinke wouldn't see to much playing time after that. Serving in a backup role, he would fill in for an injured Jake Delhomme here and there. Weinke was last cut from the San Francisco 49ers. If the 49ers don't need a QB, then man, I don't know who would.

Curse Rating: 7/10

NCAA Football 2001 – Shaun Alexander

The only player to be on both the NCAA and Madden's cover, Shaun Alexander avoided the EA curse the first time. Shaun Alexander was the man. Rushing records, leading his team to the Superbowl, pro bowls, an MVP award, Offensive Player of the Year, record contracts, he had it all.

Then he decided to ask test luck again and appeared on the cover of Madden 07...and broke his toe in the 3rd week of the following season. And broke his wrist the following year. And then he got cut by the same Seahawks who only two years ago had signed him to a league-high 8 year $62 million contract. On the field, it was all gone.

I think Shaun MIGHT still have a good two or three years left in him, but you might need to stick a fork in him. He was lucky to have gotten by for so long. Like the George Dubya once said, "Fool me once..."

Curse Rating: 7/10

NCAA Football 2000 – Ricky Williams (RB, Texas).

Ahh Ricky Williams. The first thing you need to know about Ricky is the price that teams have paid to get him, specifically draft picks. Mike Ditka and the New Orleans Saints gave up all of their 1999 Draft picks to get him, as well as their 1^st and 3^rd round picks the following year. When that didn’t work out, the Dolphins traded for him three years later for two first round picks. Eesh, you could build an eventual Superbowl contender with all those picks.

Fortunately, Williams would be incredibly productive with the Dolphins, leading the NFL with his first year with them with 1,853 yards, and earning Pro Bowl honors. While Williams could be productive on the field, he couldn’t stay healthy or clean off it. Diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder, Williams officially retired from the NFL in August 2004, after failing a number of drug tests. He then revealed his plans to study Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of holistic medicine. Let’s just say even the Manning brothers and their Double Stuff Racing League thought that was a dumb idea.

(We're making history!")

Needless to say the whole holistic medicine thing didn’t work out. Williams would return a year later, to split carries with his successor Ronnie Brown, to have a moderately successful year. Then, Williams failed the NFL drug policy for the fourth time, getting suspended for the entire 2006 season.

After spending a season in the CFL, Williams worked hard to get reinstated by the NFL. And by reinstated I mean smoking 3 bulbs daily, instead of regular 6. Playing. He was reinstated in 2007, only to get injured after a lineman stepped on his shoulder in his first game back, ending his season. The Dolphins have apparently renewed his contract though, so hopefully he gets it right on his fourth, no wait fifth try—ah forget it.

Curse Rating: 9/10.

NCAA Football 99 – Charles Woodson (CB, Michigan).

Woodson hasn’t really suffered anything close to a curse in his time in the pros, having a Hall of fame ballot entry level pro career. A multiple time pro bowler, and still playing and contributing with the Green Bay Packers, he’s been about as successful as you can be as a top NFL corner, with the exception of the Superbowl Ring.

Curse Rating: 1/10

NCAA Football 98 – Danny Wuerffel (QB, Florida).

After winning the Heisman trophy, he didn’t do much else in the Pros. A journey man QB in the NFl, Wuerffel played seven seasons with 4 different teams, before having his career highlights come in winning the MVP honors of the NFL Europe World Game 2000.

Curse Rating: 8/10.

Final Curse Rating: 5.6

At the end of the day though, it’s really hard to call it a curse. The Madden Curse is one thing: when a player has already seen incredible success to warrant a cover only to watch his career spiral down the drain.

But it’s harder to ascertain whether it’s a curse for college players who are makinghe difficult jump to the pros. Who's to say it's a curse and not just the fairly common case of a spectacular college athlete, end up being less than mediocre or less than mediocre in the NFL?

With that said, it’s still fairly interesting to analyze. The story isn't over for a lot of these players, only time will really tell. But if I had a dime for every time someone walked into Gamestop and saw NCAA 2002 sitting in the bargain bin with no idea who Chris Weinke was...