NBC Airs Madden NFL ’11 Celebrity Touch Football Game This Sunday

In a prelude to Sunday’s Hall of Fame Game, NBC airs a NFL legend/celebrity touch football game as part of the launch of the new Madden ’11 video game.

Madden NFL 11 Pigskin Pro-Am

Flag Football Game Featuring NFL Legends & Hollywood Stars to Air on NBC Sunday, August 8 at 7 PM ET

Madden NFL 11 on Sale Tuesday, August 10

Craig Robinson, right, of television’s “The Office”, chases Jerry Rice, newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver, during the Madden NFL 11 Pigskin Pro-Am, in Malibu, Calif., July 22, 2010. The game will air prior to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 8.  Photo/EA SPORTS, Susan Goldman, handout.

Maria Menounos, actress and television host, grabs the flag off of Kurt Warner, left, former NFL Quarterback, during the Madden NFL 11 Pigskin Pro-Am, in Malibu, Calif., July 22, 2010. The game will air prior to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 8.  Photo/EA SPORTS, Susan Goldman, handout.

Maria Menounos, actress and television host, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) following her performance at the Madden NFL 11 Pigskin Pro-Am, in Malibu, Calif., July 22, 2010.  The game will air prior to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 8.  Photo/EA SPORTS, Susan Goldman, handout

Before the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals meet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game to kick off the 2010 NFL preseason, NFL and NBC get fans back to football with the second annual Madden NFL 11 Pigskin Pro-Am on Sunday, August 8 at 7:00 pm ET on NBC. 

NFL legends join forces with Hollywood celebrities in this exciting, action-packed, high-scoring flag football game, complete with last-second drama.  The Pigskin Pro-Am took place in Malibu, California on Thursday, July 22. 

Fans can tune in to see “Montana-To-Rice” one more time, when Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback JOE MONTANA leads The Gamers with member of the Hall of Fame class of 2010 JERRY RICE as well as “Access Hollywood’s” correspondent MARIA MENOUNOS as she takes home the game’s coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.  On the other side of the ball, Super Bowl XXXIV MVP KURT WARNER, Hall of Fame DB ROD WOODSON and host of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” CRAIG ROBINSON are a few of the stars that make up The Famers squad.  [Full team rosters below]

The Pigskin Pro-Am is part of the launch of Madden NFL 11, which goes on sale August 10. 

Some highlights from the game:

• The Famers QB Kurt Warner returns to the field just months after announcing his retirement. Can he top his performance in Super Bowl XLIII or his 2009 Playoff run in this year’s Pigskin Pro-Am?
• The Gamers’ Jerry Rice takes it to the house and returns a “kickoff” 40-yards for a touchdown.
• The Gamers’ Maria Menounos records five receptions for 55 yards, one touchdown, has one sack and two tackles.
• The Famers’ JAMES VAN DER BEEK channels Jonathon “Mox” Moxon with six receptions for 71 yards and three touchdowns, and adds six tackles.
• Down a score, The Famers’ Rod Woodson picks off Gamers QB Joe Montana allowing The Famers to drive down and score with less than 20 seconds left to take their first lead of the day. 
• In the final seconds of the game, The Gamers get inside the 10-yard line on a pass to Deion Sanders and time seemingly expires… but Coach TONY GONZALEZ calls a timeout and The Gamers get one more play.  Tune in to see if Montana has one more classic game-winning drive left in him.

Full Team Rosters:

THE GAMERS

Quinton Aaron (Actor – Michael Oher in “The Blind Side”)

Marcus Allen

Shannon Elizabeth (Actress, Model)

Joe Manganiello (Actor — Werewolf Alcide Herveaux on HBO’s “True Blood”)

Ryan McPartlin (Actor – Chuck)

Maria Menou
nos (Actress/Journalist – Correspondent for “Access Hollywood”)

Joe Montana

Jerry Rice

Deion Sanders, Captain

Tony Gonzalez, Coach

THE FAMERS

Ashlan Gorse (Correspondent for E!)

Michael Irvin

Stacy Keibler (Actress/Former Pro Wrestler)

Jesse Plemons (Actor – Landry Clarke on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”)

Craig Robinson (Actor/Comedian – Host of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”)

Shannon Sharpe, Captain

James Van Der Beek (Actor)

Kurt Warner

Rod Woodson

Terrell Owens, Coach

Madden NFL 11 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system. Madden NFL 11 will also be available for download globally on mobile platforms including iPad® and feature phones.

Madden NFL 11 is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®, and EA SPORTS™ MMA.

That’s it.