NFL Pros Are Ready for Some Madden Football

It's not just armchair quarterbacks and gamers who will be lining up to get Madden NFL 12. With the lockout now a memory and a brand new Collective Bargaining Agreement secured for a full decade, NFL players can focus on getting ready for some football -- both on the real gridiron and the virtual.

"I wasn't worried at all," said Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who was voted the cover athlete for the latest edition of Madden by fans. "There would be too much to lose if we didn't have a season."

Electronic Arts would have lost a bundle, as analysts predicted sales of the new game would have been sliced in half if football had remained on the sidelines. And the 2011 NFL Draft class of college standouts would have only been able to see themselves in uniforms and pads in Madden.

"It's a blessing to be in Madden after growing up as a little kid playing with as Reggie White and all those guys in the games," said Nick Fairley, rookie defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions. "Now people will see Nick Fairley in the game. It's going to be a crazy experience."

Patrick Peterson, the Arizona Cardinals rookie cornerback, has been playing games from the early days on Nintendo and all of the PlayStation consoles. Even at the NFL Draft in New York City he was counting down the days to August 30th.

"It's going to be crazy seeing myself in Madden," said New Orleans Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram. "I remember creating myself when I was in elementary school as an All-Pro. I'm really excited about it all."

Gabbert said the Madden initiation will be cool, and his little brother will probably enjoy it more than he does.

"Being in Madden is something that's unique, I guess it's a perk to this whole process and something that you dream about as a little kid -- just like getting drafted," said Jake Locker, the new quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. "It will be cool to be able to compete as yourself in the video game."

Locker has been playing Madden, along with NCAA Football, since he was a kid. He's watched as the football franchises have progressed over the years, taking advantage of the new consoles.

"I think the technology just keeps advancing," said Prince Amukamara, rookie cornerback for the New York Giants. "There's more stuff you can do with it and I think it's great for the kids. It's become so real that you can actually run the plays just like you do in real life."