Justin Jefferson genuinely loves Madden. Whenever the Minnesota Vikings’ star wide receiver gets the opportunity to get on the sticks, there aren’t many people out there who can beat him. He was one of the winners of the Madden 22 Virtual Pro Bowl, alongside Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons, and is one of those guys that makes sure to comment on his rating every year.
Going to use those @EAMaddenNFL ratings as motivation
: https://t.co/RNlOAYwSSU pic.twitter.com/e0rsZKUnxY
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 30, 2021
When you’re that vocal about your love of Madden, EA takes notice. The Madden publisher recently had Jefferson in their studio to work with him, and while he was there, Jefferson sat down with Uproxx to talk about his love for the franchise, how excited he was to finally see himself in the game, and of course, his overall rating.
What was the first Madden you played?
The first one I played was Madden 05. That was the first time I really started to take the game seriously while playing with my brothers. Playing that, I learned a lot about both football and the game itself.
Looking at how it’s changed today with FieldSENSE, WR-DB battles, and comparing it to Madden 05 when the hit stick was first introduced, how wild is it to see how much the technology has changed?
It just goes to show how technology has really changed over the years and advanced, and with Madden in particular, it’s giving them a chance to make the game more realistic than it’s ever been before. It’s really cool seeing that growth.
Do you like to play as yourself?
Absolutely. When I use myself, I know all the catches I can make, what kind of balls I like to have thrown my way, and what adjustments I need to do to get them.
And because nobody knows yourself better than you, that means that if there’s ever a ball you can’t get that you know you can grab, you can always go talk to the devs about it.
Yes, exactly. I’m always in their ear giving them my thoughts on how I’m shown in the game.
You’re one of those guys that gives your thoughts on your rating every year, right?
Yeah, I think it was after my rookie year I told them that my speed wasn’t good enough or my catching, but it’s been going up since then. I think it would be awesome to get up to a 99 someday. I need those gold cleats!
How cool was it the first time you ended up in the game?
The first time I saw myself in the game was really unbelievable. I got up and ran around my house screaming.
What was a more “wow, I can’t believe it” moment for you: When you first saw yourself in Madden, the day you got drafted, or the first time you stepped on the field as an NFL player?
Honestly, I think it was the first time I was in Madden. Cause this was a game I grew up playing, and when I saw myself, it just became real. Like, I didn’t have to make some fantasy character using a guy who didn’t even look like me. That was actually me and that moment was really special.