Odell Beckham Jr. Named Madden NFL 16 Cover Athlete: Voting Results and Reaction

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who won the 2014 Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year back in January, added another accomplishment to his impressive resume Wednesday—cover athlete for EA Sports' Madden NFL 16.

The game's Twitter account shared the official news:   

Beckham beat out New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the final vote. Gronkowski and Beckham emerged from a field of four that included Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Beckham talked about the news, via Bleacher Report's Uninterrupted:

ESPN's Darren Rovell highlighted Beckham's place in Madden history after the voting, and ESPN Stats & Info noted that Beckham now has bragging rights over every other Giant in team history:

The 22-year-old was humbled after winning the cover nod, per Tom Rock of Newsday:

Beckham finished the 2014 season with 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches in only 12 games, but he turned the most heads with his dramatic, one-handed touchdown reception against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

The notoriety he received from that play undoubtedly helped him land the Madden cover.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

One thing to take into consideration with any new Madden cover athlete, though, is the infamous Madden curse. Throughout the history of the game, notable players who graced the cover suffered various injuries or declined in production.

Garrison Hearst broke his ankle the year (1999) he was on the cover. Dorsey Levens (Madden NFL 2000) lost his starting job. Daunte Culpepper (2002) threw a league-high 23 interceptions while leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 6-10 record. Michael Vick (2004) broke his fibula. Shaun Alexander (2007) broke his foot. Vince Young (2008) struggled on the field and lost his starting job. And Peyton Hillis (2012) suffered various injuries and a decline in production.

Beckham addressed those concerns on SportsCenter, per Art Stapleton of the Record, and later posted a tweet himself:

CBS Sports suggested Beckham's sheer talent could help fend off any curses, although Grantland's Bill Barnwell alluded to him being in the crosshairs after Wednesday's news:

The fact that Beckham is so young should help him overcome any sudden decline in production, and there are numerous examples (Calvin Johnson and Ray Lewis come to mind) of players who turned in impressive seasons after landing on the Madden cover.

Instead, Beckham's already-sky-high popularity will get a boost because of the cover. He is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable players in the league, and playing in New York as the Madden cover athlete will do nothing to change that.

The Beckham-Gronkowski battle for the cover marked yet another sports showdown between New York and Boston. While it didn't have the intensity of a clash between the Red Sox and Yankees or match the importance of the two recent Super Bowls between the Patriots and Giants, Beckham is surely glad to garner this recognition.

The Patriots may be Super Bowl champions, but New York has the Madden cover athlete.