Desmond Howard catches NCAA 06 cover

Following reports in Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb will be the next cover athlete of Electronic Arts' Madden series (which EA still hasn't confirmed), the software publisher today came clean on the athlete poised to be on the boxes of its upcoming NCAA Football 06.

Desmond Howard, former NFL player with five teams, has been selected by EA for the game's cover, breaking a string of first-year NFL athletes to lend their 2D images for promotional purposes. 2005's cover athlete was Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, now with the Arizona Cardinals; 2004 was graced by USC's Carson Palmer, now taking snaps with the Cincinnati Bengals; and 2003 saw Oregon's Joey Harrington, now throwing bombs to Detroit Lions receivers, on the cover. Other previous cover athletes include Chris Weinke and Shaun Alexander.

As a wide receiver and kick returner for the Michigan Wolverines, Howard used his agility and speed to catch 19 touchdowns in his junior year for the Big Blue. Howard went on to play for five teams in the NFL, with his greatest moment being named MVP of Super Bowl XXXI, where he returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown against the New England Patriots.

Though Howard played his last NFL game in 2002, the electric playmaker was selected for having one of the most memorable Heisman Trophy-winning seasons in the history of the NCAA. His selection was designed to hype NCAA Football 06's all-new race for the Heisman mode, which lets gamers go from prep star to college's best player.

"Desmond Howard provided one of the most vivid Heisman moments in college football history, and what better way to capture the essence of NCAA Football 06 than by putting his memorable Heisman touchdown pose on the cover of our game," said Todd Sitrin, vice president of marketing at EA's Tiburon studio.

EA, which owns the exclusive licensing rights to NCAA Football-themed games, also gave a more concrete release date for NCAA Football 06, previously slapped with a TBD. The game will take to the field in July on the Xbox and PlayStation 2, as it's currently in development at EA Tiburon.

NCAA Football 06 is rated E for Everyone and is awaiting pricing details. For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's scouting report.

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