Richard Sherman to grace Madden ’15 cover

In yet another sign of how quickly his star has risen after being a fifth-round pick a mere three years ago, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has been tabbed to appear on the cover of the “Madden NFL 15″ video game, game maker EA Sports announced Friday.
Sherman was selected by a fan vote, besting Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the finals.
Sherman is the first defensive player on the Madden cover since Steelers safety Troy Polamalu in Madden ’10, and he is the first Seahawks player to make the cover since Seahawks tailback Shaun Alexander in Madden ’07.
Hall of Fame tailback Barry Sanders appeared on the Madden ’14 box. The previous year, Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson appeared on the cover in the very same season that he broke the single-season receiving yardage record. However, the struggles of some who have donned the cover are part of the game’s lore.
The 26-year-old Sherman has intercepted 20 passes in his first three NFL seasons, including eight in 2013, a season capped by Seattle winning its first Super Bowl.

Source: PFT.com
Author: Mike Wilkening

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Hoyer talks about keeping his job, while Manziel works on taking it

Regardless of whether the Browns mean it when they claim that veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer has a big lead over rookie Johnny Manziel in the “competition” (Jets style or otherwise) to win the starting job, the question of which man deserves to lead the team will be determined on the practice field, based on how the other players perceive their abilities.
So on a day when Hoyer talked about keeping his job, Manziel may have taken a big step toward taking it.
Sure, Manziel threw three interceptions on the day. But it was a quintessential Johnny Football play that had everyone buzzing after the OTA session.
As explained by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Manziel rolled to the right, threw left across his body, and hit tight end Jordan Cameron 30 yards down the field.
“Pretty sweet, huh?” receiver Nate Burleson said of the play. “It was nice, man. I like to see Johnny make big plays. When a quarterback gets into a rhythm and gets a little confidence, his chin pokes up and his chest sticks out a little bit more and they play better and when he gets into a rhythm, he’s a special athlete.
“He’s hard to stop. He’s doing good, man. I like what I’m seeing so far out of Johnny Football.”
“He put it exactly where he needed to put it,” Cameron said of the throw. “It got people going a little. It was exciting. I know guys reacted. That’s what he does. He makes people react. It’s an emotional thing when they watch him play. He brings a lot of energy and that’s his game.”
If enough of their teammates agree with the assessments from Burleson and Cameron, it will be hard for the powers-that-be to open the season with Hoyer at the helm. Of course, one of their teammate who would vote for Hoyer is, well, Hoyer.
“You never want to see someone else doing your job,” said Hoyer, who is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season. “That’s the biggest thing for me. I feel I’m ready and I know a lot of people who come back from this injury talk about the mental aspect. I think I’ve conquered that months ago. As the competitor in me I want to be out there with my guys, calling the plays and running them.”
Come September, when the Browns start the season in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, there’s a good chance that it will be Manziel calling the plays and running them, especially if he keeps running them like he did on Tuesday.

Source: PFT.com
Author: Mike Florio
AP Photo: Houston Chronicle, Karen Warren

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway rescues pair from disabled boat

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway may want to look into a post-football career working for the Coast Guard.
According to KARE 11-TV in Minnesota, Greenway helped rescue a couple from their boat, which had become uncontrollable on Lake Minnetonka on Monday afternoon.
Crystal and Edward Alexis were out on the lake gazing at houses lining the shores when the steering of the boat became inoperable. The boat was spinning in circles and drifting toward the rocks lining the banks.
Greenway jumped into the water and guided the vessel out of danger under further help could arrive.
“I just ran down, of course with my two little girls following behind me, trying to stay out of the way, and I figured I’d help them out. It looked like it was dangerous,” Greenway said.
Greenway then aided to get the boat secured and able to be towed to safety.

Source: PFT.com
Author: Curtis Crabtree
AP Photo

Nightclub executive: Manziel’s visit “great for Vegas”

Johnny Manziel’s recent Las Vegas jaunt drew widespread attention.
And the buzz generated by the Browns’ rookie quarterback didn’t go unnoticed in Vegas.
An unnamed nightclub executive told Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Manziel’s trip was “great for Vegas,” with the executive estimating Manziel’s visit generated millions in free publicity for the city.
“It was like when Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods came to town. It meant something,” the executive said, according to Clarke. “People love a showman. People love to follow that kind of guy. He’s Johnny Football — and he’s a nice guy.”
And as long as the “football” part of Manziel’s brand remains strong, the Browns’ first-round pick figures to be someone whose arrival at any public place draws stares, whispers and stealth cellphone-camera pictures.

Source: PFT.com
Author: Mike Wilkening
Photo from 'Busted Coverage'