Ole Miss football uses ‘NFL Street’ theme with unveiling of signees

You may not remember ‘NFL Street’ if you were born prior to 1980 or after 1998, but Ole Miss football sure as hell does.

The Rebels used a theme for the once popular video game to reveal its signees on Signing Day Wednesday including some little design flairs like a cowboy hat on Texas Kedrick Reescano’s graphically designed character.

The video game was known for exaggerated physics causing huge hits somewhat like ‘NFL Blitz’, but the football games were set in a backyard, schoolyard or street setting though gamers were playing with NFL legends like Barry Sanders or Shannon Sharpe in 7-on-7 games.

First off, I think this is next level in terms of marketing, because its unique, eye-catching for recruits, and also anyone who was in high school or college when these games came out immediately gets washed in nostalgia. It looks like quite a bit of work went into them as well with the old school graphics lookin’ like Gamecube or PS2 or something.

Secondly, this is a sign of where Signing Day announcements are headed. It used to just be quick little highlights and a graphic page of a player’s credentials. Now, we’re creating video game models of the prospects, so I welcome the future of hologram signees bursting out of my computer screen one day and simulating a form tackle in my home office.