4/4 UPDATE -

Today, EA SPORTS and ESPN announced the final eight NFL players advancing to Round 3 of the Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote campaign, hosted exclusively by ESPN.com and “SportsNation”. Players that are still in contention to appear on the cover of Madden NFL 12 include Aaron Rodgers (QB, Packers), Danny Woodhead (RB, Patriots), Jamaal Charles (RB, Chiefs), Peyton Hillis (RB, Browns), Adrian Peterson (RB, Vikings), Patrick Willis (LB, 49ers), Drew Brees (QB, Saints) and Michael Vick (QB, Eagles). Over 9.2 million votes have been cast on ESPN.com’s “SportsNation” during the first two weeks of the Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote campaign (March 21 – April 4).

Key highlights during Round 2 voting:

·         Largest voting differential:
§  52.1%, Aaron Rodgers (QB, Packers) vs. Sam Bradford (QB, Rams) – 76.0% vs. 23.9%

·         Smallest voting differential:
§  0.3%, Jamaal Charles (RB, Chiefs) vs. Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jaguars) – 50.1% vs. 49.8%

·         Four upsets occurred including: 
§  No. 10 seed Peyton Hillis (RB, Browns) vs. No. 2 seed Matt Ryan (QB, Falcons)

§  No. 7 seed Patrick Willis (LB, 49ers) vs. No. 2 seed Hines Ward (WR, Steelers)

§  No. 9 seed Adrian Peterson (RB, Vikings) vs. No. 1 seed Philip Rivers (QB, Chargers)

§  No. 6 seed Jamaal Charles (RB, Chiefs) vs. No. 3 seed Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jaguars). 

ROUND 2 BREAKDOWN OF MADDEN NFL 12 COVER VOTE CAMPAIGN

·         Aaron Rodgers (76.0%) over Sam Bradford (23.9%)

·         Danny Woodhead (57.2%) over Hakeem Nicks (42.7%)

·         Jamaal Charles (50.1%) over Maurice Jones-Drew (49.8%)

·         Peyton Hillis (51.2%) over Matt Ryan (48.7%)

·         Adrian Peterson (56.0%) over Philip Rivers (43.9%)

·         Drew Brees (60.9%) over Mark Sanchez (39.0%)

·         Mike Vick (62.1%) over Andre Johnson (37.8%)

·         Patrick Willis (59.8%) over Hines Ward (40.1%)

ORIGINAL STORY -
This year, football fans across the country have the opportunity to select the next cover athlete for Madden NFL 12.  Through April 27, fans can participate in a bracket-style voting campaign on www.ESPN.com/MaddenVote and choose among 32 candidates, one representative from every NFL team, to appear on the cover of Madden NFL 12. Fans’ votes will determine which NFL players advance through the seeded bracket, culminating in the reveal of the Madden NFL 12 cover athlete winner on ESPN’s “SportsNation” on April 27.

Fans can log on to www.ESPN.com/MaddenVote to vote daily for their favorite cover athlete candidate. Every Monday throughout the campaign, fans can tune in to ESPN’s “SportsNation” at 4pm Eastern for the latest voting results and see who will advance to the next round. Fans can also visit the Madden NFL Facebook page (www.facebook.com/EASPORTSMaddenNFL) to fill out their own Madden NFL 12 cover athlete bracket to compete against their friends and co-workers for the chance to win a variety of prizes including Super Bowl tickets and copies of Madden NFL 12.

For the complete Madden NFL 12 voting campaign bracket, you can also visit www.ESPN.com/MaddenVote.