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How and Why I Replace My Player's Jersey Numbers in MADDEN 16

About 4 months ago I finally scraped enough money together to buy an X-box One. Many people are surprised to learn that a grown man is still interested in video games. Please allow me to offer an argument in my defense. I actually bought this overpriced game console specifically to play just one game, Madden 16. 

For over 30 years I have been an avid fan of American Football. Truth be told, I learned most of what I now know about it from playing a video game based on it. In fact, I can remember how exciting it was in 1988 when the first computer version of a football game based on actual real life players became available for play on Commodore 64 home PCs. 

The computer game was initially called John Madden Football. Eponymously named after a former coach of the Oakland Raiders. John Madden was a colorful, and somewhat bombastic, character in American Football at that time. He was perhaps best known for excitedly shouting key phrases like "Boom" and "Bap" when describing the play on the field during television broadcasts. 

As a broadcast color commentator, Madden was also an early adopter of technology. He single-handedly made the telestrator a household word. A combination of the words television and illustrator, the telestrator is a device which enables a person to use a specialized pen to draw lines over video images. A very powerful tool for a former coach trying to explain to an enthralled viewing public how a 3-4 blitz package might affect a rookie quarterback during the game. 

I have to admit, I was instantly hooked when I first saw Madden draw yellow lines showing the Dallas Cowboys' offensive line creating key blocks to spring running back Emmett Smith into the secondary. As a young kid, I didn't know much about the strategy of football at that time other than to get the ball into the end-zone. Madden, and his video game empire changed all of that. 

Like myself, the down-to-earth Madden showed millions of Americans the how and why of the "Xs and Os" that underpin the tactics used in every play of professional football. Most importantly, he did it in a very conversational way. He often employed humor, homespun anecdotes, and his personal knowledge of the players to convey otherwise complicated rules and plays to the audience in easy to digest nuggets. 

Back to how does a 46 year-old man end up buying a video game? In the early 90's there was little that actually resembled real players in the earliest games. The graphics consisted mainly of a bunch of crudely drawn representations of individual players. The code writers used pixelated icons with the players' last names highlighted underneath them as they moved across a static green football field. Things sure have changed since then!

Since the game's inception, each year, the John Madden Football software developers would sharpen the graphics and resolution just enough to keep rabid fans buying their software. Today, Madden 16 actually uses digital face-mapping technology so vivid that you can actually see the tattoos covering Wide-receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s arms, and the perpetual scowl that always seems to adorn Quarterback Andrew Luck's face. Seriously, the game is a sumptuous treat for the eyes if you have an HD television. 

One of the best thing about the Madden games over the years has been the franchise's fervent dedication to football heritage. The game's designers have painstaking created players from every year of the Modern Superbowl era. We're talking about players that once played in the first Superbowl back in 1967! You can play with Football legends like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Micheal Irvin, Brett Farve, and etcetera. It truly is amazing how much historically accurate statistical data goes into creating this software. 

One of my favorite features of the game is that it will allow you to create a team using many of the best players of all time. However, many of these players share the same jersey numbers. Without getting too complicated, the rules of American Pro Football are extremely strict when it comes to which numbers players in certain position are allowed to wear on their jerseys. Suffice it to say the numbers must be between 1-99, and no two players can sport the same numbers. The computer will automatically reassign available numbers to players on your team using legally allowed numbers if a numbers conflict should arise. 

Naturally, this can cause some consternation for avid fans of certain players. Imagine Payton Manning without his venerated number 18, or Joe Montana sporting a number other than 16. That is why I have endeavored to create a jersey numbering convention that I believe most die-hard fans can use to justify manually editing a player's number in the game. Yes, the game is so advanced it allows you to do that. 

Please remember the following is just my personal guide. You can use it or alter it as you like. I present this to you just as a suggestion: 

UNIFORM NUMBER	POSITION	NAMESAKE HERO	RATIONALE
12	QB	Joe Namath Roger Staubach Terry Bradshaw Tom Brady Aaron Rodgers Andrew Luck	The top performing walk-on at Texas A&M University will often be issued number 12, in reference to their 12th Man tradition The number 12 is also prestigious at the University of Alabama. It is usually reserved for top quarterbacks
20	HB	Barry Sanders	This number should be reserved for only the quickest and most elusive halfback. Why? Because Barry Sanders, that's why.
21	CB	Deion Sanders Charles Woodson Patrick Peterson	This number should be reserved for only the best Cornerback.
22	HB	Emmitt Smith	Reserved for small, but hardy running backs
24	CB	Champ Bailey	3rd best Cornerback
26	CB	Rod Woodson	2nd best Cornerback
27	CB	Steve Atwater	4th best Cornerback
32	HB	Jim Brown OJ Simpson Marcus Allen	Reserved for larger, bruising types of running backs
35	CB	Aeneas Williams	5th best Cornerback
36	HB	Jerome Bettis	Reserved for the biggest starting halfback
40	HB/FB	Gayle Sayers Mike Altsott	Reserved for larger running backs that can also catch the ball
42	FS	Ronnie Lott	Best Free Safety
43	SS	Troy Polamalu	Best Strong Safety
44	FB	John Riggins	Best Fullback
48	FB	Daryl Johnston	2nd best Fullback
50	MLB	Mike Singletary	3rd Best Middle Linebacker
52	MLB	Ray Lewis	2nd Best Middle Linebacker
55	MLB	Junior Seau	Best Middle Linebacker
56	ROLB	Lawrence Taylor	Best OLB against the run. "Strongside linebacker" or "SAM"
58	LOLB	Jack Lambert Wilbur Marshall Derrick Thomas	Best OLB against the pass. "Weakside Linebacker" or "WILL" in a 4-3, or a "BUCK" in a 3-4 system. Usually the fastest LB in the corps.
60	C	Chuck Bednarik "Concrete Charlie"	Best Center
63	LG	Gene Upshaw	Best Pass-blocking Offensive Guard. These guards will pull more traps and counter running plays so they must also be the more agile of the two guards
64	LG	Randall McDaniel	2nd best Pass-Blocking Offensive Guard.
68	RG	Will Shields	Best Run-Blocking Offensive Guard.
73	RG	Larry Allen	Best all-around Offensive Guard.
74	RT	Bruce Matthews	Best overall Offensive Lineman C/G/T
76	LT	Orlando Pace	2nd best Pass-blocking Offensive Guard.
77	RT	Willie Roaf	Best Run-Blocking Offensive Tackle.
78	LT	Anthony Munoz	Best Pass-Blocking Offensive Tackle.
79	RT	Erik Williams	2nd best Run-blocking OT. A Mauler.
80	WR2	Jerry Rice Chris Carter Steve Largent James Lofton	2nd Best Wide-Receiver.
82	WR3	John Stallworth	3rd Best Wide-Receiver.
84	TE1	Shannon Sharpe	Best Receiving Tight-End.
85	TE2	Antonio Gates Vernon Davis	Best Blocking Tight-End.
86	WR4	Hines Ward	Best blocking Wide-Receiver.
87	TE3	Dave Casper "The Ghost"	2nd best Receiving Tight End.
88	WR1	Lynn Swann Michael Irvin Issac Bruce	Best Catching Wide-Receiver.
92	LE	Reggie White Michael Strahan	Best Overall Defensive Pass Rusher.
93	DT	John Randle	Best Pass-Rushing Defensive Tackle.
94	RE	Charles Haley	Best Run-Stopping Defensive End.
95	DT	Richard Dent	Best Run-Stopping Defensive Tackle.
99	DT	Warren Sapp	Best Overall Defensive Tackle.