There has been tons of hype around the new College Football 25 video game. Formerly known as NCAA Football, it was a fan favorite until being discontinued in 2014 amid legal issues over the use of real-life college players’ names and likenesses. Now that it’s back, some members of Temple Football were eager to try it out.
In the meeting room of Temple’s football facility. teammates squared off against each other while, of course, playing as Temple within the video game.
“Especially now being part of the team and seeing all the guys on it, it’s one of the coolest things,” says offensive lineman Kevin Smithwick, who joined the real-life Owls as a walk-on in the summer of 2022.
The Owls’ starting quarterback, Forrest Brock, had the odd sensation of getting to play as himself within the game. He reminisced about growing up playing football video games.
“Growing up playing Madden, always making my MyPlayer, it’s pretty crazy,” he says.
Game developer EA Sports gave players who opted into having avatars in the game $600 and a copy of College Football 25 on release day, in exchange for their name, image, and likeness. They were also given player ratings in the game based on their on-field performance.
Still, there were mixed feelings over how everybody was ranked within the game.
“I didn’t really play last season, so honestly I thought it was going to be lower,” says Brock, who was given a 75 overall rating.
“I wish it could be better, of course, but it’s all good,” says safety Andreas Keaton, who was rated 76 overall. He was, however, happy with his speed rating of 88. “I think it fits me.”
Temple kicks off its season against Oklahoma on August 30, looking to improve upon last season’s 3-9 record. The team has been deep in preseason training on campus for a while.
“Wait til we go crazy bro, everybody’s ratings gonna go up,” says defensive tackle Demerick Morris, who’s returning this year as a grad student after missing most of the 2023 season due to injury.
