The Madden Curse is undeniably one of the freakiest occurrences that the NFL world has observed over the years. Ever since John Madden, the legendary NFL coach stopped making the cover of the game, every player that has henceforth been on the cover was either subjected to gruesome injuries or a decline in performance. Garrison Hearst, the first-ever player to face the curse, appeared in Peyton Manning’s latest video, and the two tried to delve deeper into the phenomenon.
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Garrison Hearst was an All-American RB enjoying record seasons for the 49ers. His record-breaking rushing record for the 49ers made him the first-ever NFL player to grace the cover of Madden in 1999. However just a few matches after making the cover, Hearst suffered from circulatory issues leading to Avascular Necrosis. Simply put – the talus bone in his foot died. This injury sidelined him for two full seasons before he made a miraculous comeback in 2001.
Talking to Peyton Manning, Garrison revealed that he never expected his injury would be branded a curse. He didn’t even believe in the issue when he first heard about it, and it was only after he started observing deeply that he realized there was some credibility to the claims.
“When I first heard it, like that’s not real and you start looking back and like each one of them got hurt after they were on the cover.”
Manning then proceeded to list out some of the freak casualties starting from Sean Alexander, Michael Vic, the never-injured Ray Lewis, and Donan McNab. “Sean Alexander rolled up his ankle, Michael Vic broke his fibula the week of the announcement, Ray Lewis was never injured and he got hurt… Donan McNab is shaking up, gets injured and the next thing you know, he’s throwing up in the middle of a game. Thank you Madden!” recalled Manning sarcastically.
These injuries were truly an anomaly and hampered both teams and the players themselves. However, as the human tendency goes, we always need a figure to blame. “You can just blame Madden right”, cheekily asked Peyton. “We could,” replied Hearst. While the duo didn’t know if blaming Madden would have worked, they were pretty sure that he wouldn’t mind as he must be laughing all the way to the bank while everyone complained.
Regardless, one can’t ignore the curse as it is truly spooky and devastating. The players who have been cursed have received the short end of the stick. However, there is one player who not only got injured but saw his career go down the drain after appearing on the game’s cover.
Peyton Hillis – The Greatest Casualty Of The Madden Curse
Peyton Hillis graced the covers of Madden 12 in the 2011 season. Hillis’ case was very peculiar as he wasn’t the top prospect or player in any position. With just 1,177 rushing yards, he was able to be on the cover of the game thanks to being the winner of the fan vote. However, the lucky break turned out to be an absolute disaster as a throat itch and pulled hamstring made him miss the first six games of the season. He ended the season with only 587 yards prompting the Browns to let go of the player.
Hillis then saw his career fall further as he lasted only three seasons in the NFL rushing for a total of 671 yards in 29 games. From getting a freak throat injury to seeing his career go downhill in an unprecedented manner, many consider Peyton Hillis’ case to be the greatest Madden Curse casualty.
