Under the Helmet – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 2, 2006
by Ashlee Smith Contributing Writer
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The latest craze to hit college dorms and apartments is a video game with such detailed technology, football players must study to remain eligible for games. For Nick Patterson redshirt sophomore free safety for the Buckeyes, his real life of balancing school and football in order to be successful as a Buckeye also has become true for success in a video game.
The newest version of a college football video game, NCAA 2007, has a campus-legend theme which requires football players to balance football while maintaining a 2.0 grade point average and campus popularity. Anyone who plays the game takes on-screen tests to determine their player’s GPA and attend social scenes to gain popularity.
“The game is much more realistic now that they added the GPA requirements and having to take tests,” Patterson said. “At first it’s pretty annoying because you just want to play the game, but it makes it realistic.”
Patterson enjoys the realistic aspect to the game but also enjoys the entertainment level video games bring.
Growing up in St. Louis, Mo., Patterson did not have the privilege to watch many Ohio State football games. The television networks showed Big 12 Conference games, but now his friends and family have a new way to watch Patterson play football and that is by playing as him in the new video game.
“My friends get more excited about playing NCAA 2007 as an Ohio State football player than I do,” Patterson said. “I get calls from them saying what I just did in the game. I think it is pretty funny.”
It is a good hobby most of his Ohio State teammates share. NCAA 2007 provides Patterson, as well as roommate, junior fullback Dionte Johnson, something to break up the rigors of football and academics.
When it comes to playing his own game on the field, he does not think about the video game too often.
“I’ve never tried to relate the game to reality,” Patterson said. “I’m sure there are some aspects of the game that could benefit me, but I’ve never really used the video game to help me with my game.”
The arrival of the game at midnight July 18 caused a line that ran half way across the store parking lot.
“A group of the guys went out at midnight the night the game came out,” Patterson said. “We then went home and just started playing.”
While Patterson and his teammates show teamwork on the field to be successful, they compete against each other at home in the video game.
“I play the game to help me relax, stay out of trouble and have a little friendly competition with my teammates,” Patterson said. “However, the games do get a little heated every now and then.”
Since Patterson purchased the game, he spends much of his free time in front of the TV with controller in hand. He does not see much of the routine changing now the season has started and with classes just a few weeks away.
“I will probably play it just as much if not more because of all the stress I will need to relieve,” Patterson said.
Patterson does not like all video games, just the games involving sports.
“I am strictly a sports man,” Patterson said. “I don’t get into the adventure video games.”
Patterson is a typical 20-year-old college guy. He loves listening to music, relaxing and playing video games. The only difference between him and others playing NCAA 2007 is Patterson’s life has been turned into a video game.
