Fans to decide 'Madden NFL 12' cover athlete

By Hector Cortez Mar 23, 2011, 5:18 GMT

Continuing through April 27, fans can participate in a bracket-style voting campaign.

Electronic Arts announced today that football fans across the country will have the opportunity to select the cover athlete for Madden NFL 12.

Beginning today and continuing through April 27, fans can participate in a bracket-style voting campaign on ESPN.com and choose among 32 candidates (one representative from every NFL team) to appear on the cover of Madden NFL 12. Fans' votes will determine which NFL players advance through the seeded bracket, culminating in the reveal of the Madden NFL 12 cover athlete on ESPN’s “SportsNation” on April 27.

Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Michael Vick, Maurice Jones-Drew, Adrian Peterson and Julius Peppers are among the 32 candidates.

Candidates from each NFL team were selected and seeded based on a variety of criteria including on-the-field performance during the 2010 NFL season, their visibility within their franchise and community, and their personal career journey.

Last year, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees won the fans vote to appear on Madden NFL 11, beating out Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.

Madden NFL 12 marks the 23rd edition of the video game in franchise history. Madden NFL 12 launches in August across all platforms.