ESPN

What do nine receptions, 146 yards, and one touchdown in your NFL debut get you? If you're Eddie Royal of the Broncos, those big-time stats translate to big-time rewards like NFL Rookie of the Week. Or if you're Royal's Madden doppelganger that translates to a plus three in his overall player rating (77 to 80) when it comes to the online roster update.

And when Royal followed his award-winning debut with the game-winning touchdown (and two-point conversion) against the rival Chargers, Royal saw his Madden stats shoot up again, this time to an 82 overall.

"I still think I can be a little faster," Royal laughs as we talk about his character. "My hands could be a little better too, but rookie ratings are always low, and rightfully so. We need to step in and prove ourselves. At least they're actually boosting the numbers as we get better.

"It was a little shocking to see the rating so low when the game came out, but you need to expect it because now we're playing against the best in the game. The NFL is about proving yourself each year. They believe in that when they do the ratings, and so do I. Not to say that I still shouldn't be a little faster, but it's all in fun."

And it's been a lot of fun for Madden gamers who play as the Broncos as the receiving combo of Royal and Brandon Marshall is starting to develop into one of the deadliest in the game, especially when you have a quarterback like Jay Cutler with 95 throwing power whipping the rock down field to his two burners.

"You think Cutler throws hard in the game, try catching those passes in real life," Royal says. "They come a lot faster than they do in Madden. He can put it there, that's for sure. But he's really good about knowing when to put that extra zip on it. If he's trying to prove a point, he might bend your fingers a little, but for the most part he throws a real catchable ball."

And its those lasers downfield from Cutler to Royal that made the rookie receiver, not only an overnight sensation on Monday Night Football and Madden, but one of those sleeper fantasy picks that paid off huge.

"A lot of fans joke about how I helped them win their fantasy game that week. It's pretty funny to think about stuff like that," Royal laughs. "I actually think fantasy football is great for the league because it brings more people to watch the games and get excited about, not only the sport, but how different players are doing out there. Fans are paying attention to every catch. Just like Madden. I hear from guys back home all the time, the good and the bad about my Madden player. I'm just glad he's finally getting a little better."

ESPN: What's your video game setup like at home?

Eddie Royal: I actually had all three systems, a Wii, a 360, and a PlayStation 3, but I'm such a big PlayStation 3 guy that I actually just traded in my Xbox 360 for another PS3. That way I have one in each part of my house so I don't need to move the system around when I want to play.

ESPN: Do a lot of the Broncos play games at the practice facility?

Eddie Royal: A lot of the guys stay after practice to play video games at our facility. Some guys are even getting there early to play. It gets pretty competitive. A lot of guys are playing NBA 2K9 right now. A lot of guys play Tiger Woods. We get enough football out there in real life, so we try to mix it up with the games. Try some new sports. But it seems like everyone on our team plays. From the quarterbacks to the defensive back, you name a guy and he's in there playing.

ESPN: What have you been playing lately?

Eddie Royal: I play everything from Call of Duty to College Football to Madden to NBA 2K9. I just bought FIFA 09 the other day, so I'm starting to get into that. I was thinking of going in and trying to create myself in FIFA, but I haven't gotten to that yet. Right now I'm more into playing NBA 2K9. I might play some franchise or go online and play against some of my friends back home. We've been playing video games since we were growing up, so playing online is a great way to keep that bond.

ESPN: You got off to such a fast start this season with the Broncos then suffered an injury that kept you out. How frustrating was sitting out?

Eddie Royal: It's tough when you can't be out there helping your team. Sitting on the sidelines is one of the worst feelings that I've ever had. Not being able to contribute or make any sort of impact on the game is tough. It makes you appreciate the game even more, though. Makes you appreciate each play. Even makes you appreciate just practicing with the guys and being in the huddle. The thing is, that first game was really like a dream come true for me. You want to come out and play big in your first game and the coaches gave me a good gameplan going in. And Jay, he made some great throws out there for me to catch. I wanted to come through for our coach and our team to show them that I can be that type of player who can come through in the clutch. Show them that I can be the type of player who isn't going to shy away when the game is on the line. I'm just trying to show the team that I can be a playmaker. So for me to get injured so early this season, that was a good lesson for me in terms of appreciating the opportunity I'm being given. You can't take anything for granted in this league.

ESPN: What's the biggest adjustment you've had to make so far this season so far?

Eddie Royal: That you need to be precise in what you're doing. That's the key. You can't even be one yard short or one yard long on your route or it throws the timing off. And timing is everything. You have to have that good timing with the quarterback so when he's ready to throw, you're coming out of your break. When I first came in, though, it was about learning the playbook because if you don't know what you're doing out there, it's just going to make the game that much harder. And you don't need any extra challenges out there. The game is already hard enough.

ESPN: What kind of rookie hazing have you experienced. Are you buying breakfast for the other receivers?

Eddie Royal: Every Wednesday I have to buy food for the meetings. We had to sing in front of the team during training camp and we had to get up in front of the team and the fans and dance before a practice. Nothing too bad. You have to have fun with it, that's the main thing.

ESPN: What's your go-to dance move? The Robot?

Eddie Royal: [laughs] I went old school -- The Tootsee Roll.

ESPN: What does everyone like to eat on Wednesdays?

Eddie Royal: A lot of guys have been eating salads. We do Chick-fil-A. We do Burger King. We do Wendy's. So at least they're not breaking my bank too much.

ESPN: Wait until you sign a bigger contract. Then it will be steak.

Eddie Royal: By the time that happens, I'll make the new rookie buy it for me. [laughs]

ESPN: Who were your favorite players growing up?

Eddie Royal: I was always a big fan of Barry Sanders and Deion Sanders. Loved to watch Jerry Rice, Steve Young, and Emmitt Smith. I paid a lot of attention to those guys, especially the guys who were true professionals at what they did. I always liked the guys who carried themselves well both on and off the field. The guys who were respectful in the way they talked about their teammates and their opponents.

ESPN: Where do you think you and Brandon Marshall rank in terms of one-two punches in the league?

Eddie Royal: To be honest, I've never even thought about that. All I know is we need to finish this season up strong. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. We just need to cut down on the mistakes and work on getting better.

ESPN: Why do you think the Broncos have been so inconsistent this year?

Eddie Royal: It's turnovers. You need to protect the ball in this league. We've had a few too many turnovers and when you turn the ball over, it's hard to put up points. We just need to do a better job of taking care of the ball. That's the biggest thing we need to fix.

ESPN: You've already been a part of a lot of close games, some controversial calls. Is it making you age a little quicker than normal?

Eddie Royal: I'm getting some gray hairs, that's for sure. [laughs] It's good to get those games out of the way early, but it has been fun. That's why we play the game, to be involved in those moments where you have the ball in the last seconds and you need to score in order to win. Those are the types of plays you dream about growing up. It's always better to come out on the winning end of it, but even if you lose, you learn something from that loss for next time. That's how you get better.

ESPN: That's how you get better in real life, but how about in Madden? Anything else you want to see improve about your Madden character?

Eddie Royal: My route running. Every once in a while, I've seen my guy in the game run the wrong route or just not run it as tight as I'd like and I'm like 'Where are you going?' But I have to say, I have a lot of fun with it. I actually think it's really interesting to see how they rate you in the game, how they gauge your skills to be so you can then turn around and play better in real life. The better you play for real, the better your skills in the game. And for someone who likes to play video games, that's just one more piece of incentive.