Celebrity Byte

What's it like to be on the cover of EA Sports NFL Tour?

I'm excited. You know, I'm a real big video game fan and to finally be on the cover of one, especially one made by EA sports, I mean that's huge.

Shawne at The Sports Dream Celebrity Poker Tournament.

Are you helping EA at all with things you'd like to see in NFL Tour?

Well, with a few things. It's going to be just like football. It's going to be a violent game as far as the graphics, and the hard-hitting. It's just hard-nose football. Being able to play it in a real ring with real players. You go around from neighborhood to neighborhood, it's NFL Tour, so you're touring around playing different guys and different people. It's interesting and I think they've done an incredible job at making this game.

Have you gotten any feedback yet from your teammates or your friends or anything about the fact that you're going to be on the cover of a video game?

Oh, they love it. I think I fit this game. I think the fans made a great decision and I really appreciate the fans that got behind me on being on the cover of this game because I think this is the first time the fans ever got a chance to vote for a cover athlete of a video game.

You know, I'm a real big video game fan and to finally be on the cover of one, especially one made by EA sports, I mean that's huge.

Do you get a lot of time during the off-season to play video games, or do you get time to play during the season?

Mostly during the season because my schedule's set, and I'm so tired and sore sometimes after the game, so all I want to do is sit around and play video games.

Now I've talked to some NFL guys who use Madden to get virtual revenge after a real loss. Do you sometimes do that?

Yeah. Its makes you feel a lot better, especially somebody who thinks they're good. You go after them to get a win.

Now does being on the cover give you an in with EA Sports to maybe get better player ratings in the next Madden game that comes out?

Shawne and Video Guerra at the 2006 ESPY Awards.

It has to happen. I'm so upset. I didn't know until just recently that I was the second best defensive player on Madden NFL 08 with a 98 rating, so we gotta change that. I'll call EA today about that.

Is that a big deal amongst the NFL players when the new games come out and the ratings are out there?

I don't know if it's a big deal amongst NFL players, but it's a big deal with me. Ha.

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