It was Madden 2005. Trung Candidate hadn’t had a carry since 2003. A first round bust with only one tantalizing season with the St. Louis Rams in 2001 and a ten game starter with Washington in ’03. I had picked him up and turned him into a star. Shutting off my Playstation 2, the 12 year old me kept my imagination going, thinking about what it would be like to revitalize a player’s career and put him back on the map.
Franchise mode in Madden was the best for any kid who loved football but didn’t have a shred of the talent to play it.