ESPN

Bernard Berrian checks out a few snaps of the Madden Challenge finals and all he can do is shake his head. "These kids can probably break down the playbooks better than some of the real players," he laughs. "And these guys are making big money out here. It's just weird to me that someone can make a living playing video games.

"But they have a passion for Madden, and I love seeing that."

EA Sports brought Berrian to Turks & Caicos to play in the Madden Pro-AM against some of the top video game players in the world, but as Berrian met the various players, all they wanted to do was breakdown how underrated he was in the game, especially when it comes to his jumping ability.

"I'm a 40-inch vertical guy. Giving me an 84 jump rating is bull," Berrian says with a smirk.

"Forget jumping, they made you weak in 09," says one of the gamers as he points out Berrian's 52 strength rating.

"That's a myth," Berrian responds. "I'm actually very strong for my size."

"Does seeing this make you want to go to the gym even more?" I ask.

"I work out all the time," he says as he picks up the controller to play.

"You sure you can lift that?" I ask. "I thought you needed to be at least a 60 to pick one of those things up."

Berrian laughs. "As long as you don't hand me two at the same time, I think I'll be fine."

After his game, Berrian had time to kick it by the beach to talk video games, Vikings, and quarterbacks as we waited for the next round of Madden competition to get under way.

ESPN: Do fans ever come up and talk to you about your Madden character like what you did in the game matters as much as what you do in real life?

Bernard Berrian: You get that a lot, and it's always fun to hear things like that. It's either "you won me the game" or "you lost me the game" or "you fumbled and cost me money". [laughs] Just to hear people talking about that, it's a crazy thing because a lot of these guys are making serious money playing this game, so they have to take it serious. For some people, it's a way to make a living. I heard one of the players made over $200,000 last year, so I'd take it serious too. I'd love to sit on the couch and make that kind of money.

ESPN: Adrian Peterson is one of the early favorites to be on the cover of the next Madden. Do you fear the curse?

Bernard Berrian: You always hear about the curse, and I don't wish that upon anyone. [laughs] But if he got on the cover, that would be really good for him. He's a great guy and a great football player. I think being on the cover would help showcase how much talent he really has. I hope he's on the cover. He deserves it.

ESPN: When you're out on the field with him, does it even amaze you some of the things he's able to pull off?

Bernard Berrian: He'll break out of a tackle or out of a gang tackle that you think there's no way anyone can break out of. And it's not like he's Brandon Jacobs, a 275-pound running back. He's like 215, maybe 220, but he's just so strong. You look at him and he's got man-strength. When I look at him, that's all I think, man-strength, and it's almost shocking to see some of the things he can do out on the field.

When we're at practice or at a walk-through, he's like the Energizer Bunny. Everyone else will be tired or walking and he's still going 75-80 percent. It's funny when you're watching him, but it just goes to show how hard he really works to be that great.

ESPN: Do you play a lot of video games?

Bernard Berrian: I do, but I'm not into sports games. I play football for a living, the last thing I want to do is go home and play more sports. I'm more into games like Halo, Call of Duty and 007. I love shooting things in these games. When I play Call of Duty, I love ducking off and sniping people, but every now and then I like to get down in the action and rough it up.

ESPN: Do you ever play online?

Bernard Berrian: Oh yeah, definitely. That's the fun part, playing against people who you have no idea who they are. They're talking trash back and forth, that's when it gets fun.

ESPN: What's your best advice for gamers playing Madden as the Vikings? How should they use you in the game?

Bernard Berrian: Fly routes. Just send me deep all day and hope that I come up with the play. And just because it's a game, I think it's easier to create mismatches on the field and attack defenses. You see me in single coverage, send me deep. But actually, I think I'm a little underappreciated in the video game. [laughs] I'm better in real life. I just wish they had a code where I can turn into Adrian Peterson and break some tackles.

ESPN: The Vikings just came off a 10-6 season where you lost in the playoffs to the Eagles. What are your expectations for the team heading into next season?

Bernard Berrian: Hopefully we just pickup where we left off. We made it to the first round where we lost to Philly, but I think we should've won that game. I'm actually still hot about it seeing all the upsets that have taken place throughout the playoffs, it's kind of upsetting a little bit. But it's good to be where we're at right now. I think we'll do a lot better next year and I think we'll all be around each other a lot more, so we'll be able to continue to grow together. I think the big thing is that we can't rest on what we did last year. We need to respect the fact that if we want to make it back to the playoffs, we need to put in a lot of hard work because every year is completely different. There's always a team that shocks people about how far they made it, and you can never rest on what you accomplished last season or you're going to be the one who is passed by.

ESPN: What do you think Tarvaris Jackson needs to improve on in order to take his game and this team to the next level?

Bernard Berrian: I think he needs to pickup where he left off last year. You never want to say that benching is good for someone, nobody ever wants to get benched, but I think it really was good for him. He came back the last few games and he played really well. He played conscience free a little bit, and that's what helped out. He's always had the talent and the skill level to go out and win and play the quarterback position, it's just the mindset of not being instructed too much. I think being over-coached can sometimes cause a young player damage and hurt his career. I think he let that go after being benched and just went back to playing football and having fun. That's what helped him out a little bit. As long as he continues to grow into that success, I think he'll be alright.

ESPN: So Madden NFL 10, if I'm playing as the Vikings, how do I get to the Super Bowl?

Bernard Berrian: Run the ball with Adrian then throw it up top to 87. That's the combo to success right there.

ESPN: Is there anything you'd like to see in the next Madden that hasn't been done before?

Bernard Berrian: I'd like to see the crowd matter more. In real life, when you're at home and the home crowd gets into the game and gets energetic, it gets you into it. In Minnesota, it gets so loud, you can actually see things shaking. When you see that, that lets you know, you better get ready for a big play.