Peyton Hillis beats Michael Vick for Madden cover
Posted: 04/27/2011
CLEVELAND - Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis beat out four-time Pro Bowler Michael Vick for the cover of Madden NFL 12.
The 25-year-old Browns back moved his way through the bracket thanks to voting fans. More than 1 million votes were cast in the finals and Hillis won with 66 percent of the vote. He will pose for the cover shoot Thursday morning.
This is the first time that video game-maker EA Sports has let the fans pick the athlete on the cover.
Hillis, who averaged more than 4 yards a carry last season, toppled Super Bowl MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as well as Baltimore running back Ray Rice, Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles and Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan.
As a number 10 seed in the bracket, Hillis made a surprise run to the top. Hillis earned 61 percent of the votes in his fourth round matchup against Rodgers.
He is the first Cleveland player to grace the coveted cover.
The winner was announced live at 4 p.m. Wednesday on SportsNation on ESPN. Both Hillis and Vick were live in the studio. Voting for the opening round started back on March 21.
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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