Linebackers (3)
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State (99, 2009)
Dan Connor, Penn State (99, 2008)
Derrick Johnson, Texas (99, 2005)
Honorable mention: E.J. Henderson, Maryland; Manti Te’o, Notre Dame; Rey Maualuga, USC
The mid-to-late 2000s were absolutely loaded with big linebackers. Their style may not comport with today’s wide-open game in real life, but they were tackle machines who could limit any big runs or get in the backfield for a tackle for loss, and the best ones still could manage quarterback contain well enough.
As overall 99s, Laurinaitis had a respectable 89 speed rating in 2009, and Johnson was an 88 speed in 2005.
Defensive backs (4)
CB Chris Gamble, Ohio State (99, 2004)
CB Terence Newman, Kansas State (99, 2003)
S Taylor Mays, USC (99, 2010)
S LaRon Landry, LSU (98, 2007)
Honorable mention: S Sean Taylor, Miami; S Ed Reed, Miami
When your opponent controlled a safety before the snap, you knew you were up against a true gamer. Defensive backs got picked on in a game where everyone wanted to throw the ball, and that’s what made elite defensive backs so important.
Landry goes down as the best hit-stick player we’ve ever seen in the game. (Will the new game include the targeting penalty?) Mays’ 95 speed let him cover all over the field, and Newman’s 99 speed and 88 awareness in 2003 made him one of the best lockdown corners in the game’s history.
At honorable mention, Taylor’s 92 speed made him one of the fastest safeties in the game after Mays, and Reed’s rating (95 overall in 2002) was the best on a 2001 Miami team that had 17 future first-round picks.
Special teams
Kicking team (2)
K Mason Crosby, Colorado (99, 2007)
P Dustin Colquitt, Tennessee (99, 2004)
Honorable mention: K Mike Nugent, Ohio State; P Tom Malone, USC
Specialists with a 99 rating were rare, but Crosby and Colquitt were two of only a few in the 13 versions of the game who migrated to the PlayStation 2/Xbox gaming era.
Both validated those rankings with lengthy NFL careers. And both blossomed into NFL stars.
Return team (1)
Ted Ginn, Ohio State (93, 2007)
Honorable mention: Trindon Holliday, LSU
Ginn was only a 93 overall, but no one who played the game was surprised when he housed the opening kickoff of the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against
Florida. It was a scene all too familiar for gamers.
Ginn had 99 speed and was the fastest player possible in the history of the game. Particularly shameless gamers would move him to quarterback (banned by those with respect for themselves and others) and zone-read opponents to death with Beanie Wells.
Leftover thoughts
• The game didn’t add individual overall player ratings until 2002. While players before that era left a mark on the sport in real life, they generally weren’t as impactful or dominant in the game. It wasn’t until the series moved to PlayStation 2 and Xbox that the series and individual players truly stood out.
• The folks at EA Sports passed high ratings around like hotcakes in the mid-to-late 2000s. The 2006 game had 41 players rated a 96 or better. The 2002 game that debuted overall player ratings had just three athletes rated a 96 — and none higher than that. By the time the last game came around (NCAA Football 14), it was back down to only five players rated at least a 96.
• The franchise got much more strict with the 99 ratings in the later years. There were only two 99 players in the last four years of the game (Clowney and Luck) after having four in 2010 (Tebow, Mays, Gresham and
Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford) and three in both 2007 and 2008.
• It was fun seeing current broadcasters pop up in the game. Pollack and Spears were 99s in their final years in 2005, and
UConn’s Dan Orlovsky was a 93 that year. Oklahoma’s Dusty Dvoracek was a 96 in 2006, while Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn was a 97 in 2007.
Alabama’s Greg McElroy was an 87, and West Virginia’s Pat McAfee was an 83 in 2009.
Baylor’s Robert Griffin III was a 95 in 2012, and Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler was an 87 that same year.
• Speaking of finding old players, this exercise was some peak “Let’s Remember Some Guys.” To honor the old Deadspin series by David Roth, let’s remember some 99- or 98-rated guys who didn’t make this team. Guys like
Boston College’s Mathias Kiwanuka, Ohio State’s Mike Doss, Penn State’s Paul Posluszny and Texas’ Nathan Vasher and Limas Sweed. We college football fans remember you.
• A big thank you to the people who compiled player ratings on an old message board or scrolled through every team in a YouTube video more than a decade ago. We have no idea why you did that, but it made this research so much easier. We salute your service.
