TrickyD
07-06-2007, 01:40 PM
http://www.ncaastrategies.com/images/news/gamesdaily.pngGameDaily is doing a four part article featuring the new Campus Legend mode in NCAA Football 08. This is from part 2 of that sequence.
The Making of a (Campus) Legend
Our superstar gets off the bench, onto the field and into the record books. And he's only a freshman. Part two of a four-part series.
By JONATHAN MILLER
After the highly-touted recruit started his Campus Legend career on the bench for the USC Trojans (part one of his superstar diary, viewable here), he quietly moved up the depth chart at free safety by dismembering practice squad receivers. Now with a little playing time under his belt, Killer takes advantage of the new EA Sports Highlights feature in NCAA 08, cutting videos of himself and taking snapshots of his on-field exploits.
In fact, he's spending a little too much time with the highlight feature, routinely snapping a dozen photos of himself each game and uploading video to the EA servers, where they can be shared with your friends online. For Killer, it's a viral campaign to win the Thorpe award for best defensive back, and he's still only a freshman. String these flicks together and they become a horror movie for Pac 10 offensive coordinators -- Killer jumps on every pass thrown his way and fills running holes with the hit stick. Already, he's one of the best-rated safeties in the country, and he can't even buy a beer.
Still, Killer has a long way to go before becoming a legend at USC, measured by a number of factors: be a five-star high school prospect; become an impact player; be named national player of the week; win a post-season award; win the Heisman; defeat a rival; win the conference title; win the national title; be named All American; and stay at school your senior year instead of going pro.
Already Killer has his eyes on the NFL and Madden 08's Superstar mode, so the chances of him playing that final college season while working part time as a dishwasher in the school cafeteria are slim -- unless USC alum Reggie Bush can hook him up with some choice off-campus housing, that is. Then again, Matt Leinart stayed for his senior season and hooked up with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Decisions, decisions.
But that's three years away. Today, USC is taking on conference rival California -- Killer's favorite school as a kid -- in a matchup that will most likely decide the Pac-10 champion. Killer's family and friends from all over the Bay Area hopped on their motorcycles and rode to Memorial Stadium in Berkley to see him play, many of them against terms of their parole. Hey, you don't get to be the meanest safety in college football without a troubled past. Ask Sean Taylor.
No. 1 USC had already steamrolled through the competition en route to an impressive 9-0 record, including a walloping of Notre Dame to take the Jeweled Shillelagh, the famed Gaelic war club and another trophy for Killer's case. With only games against Arizona State and UCLA ahead, USC is a virtual lock to make the BCS title game. But then here come the Bears.
Cal's passing game is unstoppable, even though the Bears quarterback dares not throw over the middle into Killer's territory. Instead, he picks apart the USC flanks with quick timing routes to his star receivers. USC's offense is, for once, ineffective, and Cal grinds out three quarters to take a 17-10 lead. Killer, the fastest player on the team, tries to convince his coach to let him return punts and kicks. Killer already has a handful of pick-sixes on the season, and he wants to slice up the Cal special teams the same way he slices up an offense after an INT. Sadly, there's no way to insert Killer into special teams, and, angrily, he screams at Coach Carroll, something about wasting the prime of Drew Bledsoe's career. Killer takes a seat on the bench while the Trojans go three-and-out yet again.
Despite nine tackles and a pick from Killer, USC suffers its first loss, and Killer feels a pain worse than when his daddy was sent upriver for a B-and-E. That's breaking and entering to you. It only gets worse when Killer logs on to ESPN.com the following Tuesday to see that USC has fallen to seventh in the BCS standings. Seventh! USC loses by one score, on the road, to a top-10 team, a conference rival, and falls to seventh? Florida, with two losses, is ranked fifth. Is this a joke? Is it East Coast bias? Does Killer have to get caught speeding on the 805 in a Ford Bronco to get USC some attention? Whatever the case, USC is not happy.
The Trojans absolutely demolish ASU and UCLA to finish fourth in the final polls, earning a bid to one of the crappy BCS bowl games no one cares about except Boise State. It just so happens to be the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State and USC wins by four touchdowns, only to finish fourth in the final standings. Big whoop.
Killer does end up winning the Thorpe award -- absolutely unimaginable for a freshman at such a skilled position. Does Killer care? No, not after being slighted by the BCS voters in one of the biggest shams in college football history. Despite becoming an impact player, award winner and defeating two rival teams as a freshman, well on his way to becoming a legend, Killer wants nothing more than a national title. Next year, he vows, things will be different.
The Making of a (Campus) Legend
Our superstar gets off the bench, onto the field and into the record books. And he's only a freshman. Part two of a four-part series.
By JONATHAN MILLER
After the highly-touted recruit started his Campus Legend career on the bench for the USC Trojans (part one of his superstar diary, viewable here), he quietly moved up the depth chart at free safety by dismembering practice squad receivers. Now with a little playing time under his belt, Killer takes advantage of the new EA Sports Highlights feature in NCAA 08, cutting videos of himself and taking snapshots of his on-field exploits.
In fact, he's spending a little too much time with the highlight feature, routinely snapping a dozen photos of himself each game and uploading video to the EA servers, where they can be shared with your friends online. For Killer, it's a viral campaign to win the Thorpe award for best defensive back, and he's still only a freshman. String these flicks together and they become a horror movie for Pac 10 offensive coordinators -- Killer jumps on every pass thrown his way and fills running holes with the hit stick. Already, he's one of the best-rated safeties in the country, and he can't even buy a beer.
Still, Killer has a long way to go before becoming a legend at USC, measured by a number of factors: be a five-star high school prospect; become an impact player; be named national player of the week; win a post-season award; win the Heisman; defeat a rival; win the conference title; win the national title; be named All American; and stay at school your senior year instead of going pro.
Already Killer has his eyes on the NFL and Madden 08's Superstar mode, so the chances of him playing that final college season while working part time as a dishwasher in the school cafeteria are slim -- unless USC alum Reggie Bush can hook him up with some choice off-campus housing, that is. Then again, Matt Leinart stayed for his senior season and hooked up with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Decisions, decisions.
But that's three years away. Today, USC is taking on conference rival California -- Killer's favorite school as a kid -- in a matchup that will most likely decide the Pac-10 champion. Killer's family and friends from all over the Bay Area hopped on their motorcycles and rode to Memorial Stadium in Berkley to see him play, many of them against terms of their parole. Hey, you don't get to be the meanest safety in college football without a troubled past. Ask Sean Taylor.
No. 1 USC had already steamrolled through the competition en route to an impressive 9-0 record, including a walloping of Notre Dame to take the Jeweled Shillelagh, the famed Gaelic war club and another trophy for Killer's case. With only games against Arizona State and UCLA ahead, USC is a virtual lock to make the BCS title game. But then here come the Bears.
Cal's passing game is unstoppable, even though the Bears quarterback dares not throw over the middle into Killer's territory. Instead, he picks apart the USC flanks with quick timing routes to his star receivers. USC's offense is, for once, ineffective, and Cal grinds out three quarters to take a 17-10 lead. Killer, the fastest player on the team, tries to convince his coach to let him return punts and kicks. Killer already has a handful of pick-sixes on the season, and he wants to slice up the Cal special teams the same way he slices up an offense after an INT. Sadly, there's no way to insert Killer into special teams, and, angrily, he screams at Coach Carroll, something about wasting the prime of Drew Bledsoe's career. Killer takes a seat on the bench while the Trojans go three-and-out yet again.
Despite nine tackles and a pick from Killer, USC suffers its first loss, and Killer feels a pain worse than when his daddy was sent upriver for a B-and-E. That's breaking and entering to you. It only gets worse when Killer logs on to ESPN.com the following Tuesday to see that USC has fallen to seventh in the BCS standings. Seventh! USC loses by one score, on the road, to a top-10 team, a conference rival, and falls to seventh? Florida, with two losses, is ranked fifth. Is this a joke? Is it East Coast bias? Does Killer have to get caught speeding on the 805 in a Ford Bronco to get USC some attention? Whatever the case, USC is not happy.
The Trojans absolutely demolish ASU and UCLA to finish fourth in the final polls, earning a bid to one of the crappy BCS bowl games no one cares about except Boise State. It just so happens to be the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State and USC wins by four touchdowns, only to finish fourth in the final standings. Big whoop.
Killer does end up winning the Thorpe award -- absolutely unimaginable for a freshman at such a skilled position. Does Killer care? No, not after being slighted by the BCS voters in one of the biggest shams in college football history. Despite becoming an impact player, award winner and defeating two rival teams as a freshman, well on his way to becoming a legend, Killer wants nothing more than a national title. Next year, he vows, things will be different.