... first entered our homes with the debut of John Madden Football in 1989. For about a decade, Madden himself graced the cover of each game.

This changed in '99 when San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst graced the cover. This is when the Madden Curse began. From '99 onward, each year a different, high-profile football player would be featured on the cover.

With the recent injury of Troy Polamalu (The latest cover athlete, shared with Larry Fitzgerald), I couldn't resist bringing this issue back. The cover accolade is certainly an honor, but along with this honor has come a strange phenomenon. 

Virtually every cover athlete has suffered massive injuries, or decline in performance the next...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL