Gilmore will give receivers 99 problems on new Madden game

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year becomes the first Patriots’ defensive player to earn prestigious rating on Madden

Stephon Gilmore has shut the NFL’s best wide receivers out on the field, earning himself the Defensive Player of the Year.

Now he’ll give digital receivers 99 problems, but a glitch is not one of them.

For the last two weeks, EA Sports has been unveiling the newest members of its "99 Club." The number is the highest rating a player can receive on the game, and Gilmore’s name was added Thursday to a list of names that every NFL fan already knows.

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The EA Madden NFL twitter account released a video of Gilmore’s wife, Gabrielle, and daughter, Gisele, surprising the cornerback. Gilmore’s reaction was tempered, but it wasn’t a surprise coming from a player who prefers to let his play do all the talking for him.

"It’s almost 100," his son, Sebastian, says in the video.

"It is almost 100," Gilmore replies. "Wow, who would have known? A little kid from Rock Hill [S.C.]."

The closest Gilmore came to a celebratory response was on social media, tweeting out three emojis — 100, a lock and prayer’s up — in response to a tweet from the Patriots and a heart, a lock and a muscle in response to the video tweeted by EA Madden. For people who don’t speak emoji, those are all good things, as was the fire emoji he tweeted in response to a tweet from The Checkdown.

https://t.co/g8ZlQIOLmK

— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) July 16, 2020

https://t.co/2eQqUzPkth

— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) July 16, 2020

https://t.co/plzK4GxeM9

— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) July 16, 2020

The cornerback becomes the first New England defensive player to earn a 99 overall rating. Tom Brady earned a 99 four times, for the Madden 2009, 2012, 2018 and 2019 versions; and Rob Gronkowski was a three-time 99-rated player, for 2016, 2017 and 2019. Randy Moss was rated a 99 on Madden 2009.

Prior to the holy trinity of Patriots weapons, Adam Vinatieri had a 99 rating on Madden 2004 and Madden 2006, which was released during his final season in New England.

The first Patriot to earn a 99 is quite the throwback and maybe a name that will send fans under the age of 25 on a quick Wikipedia search. Tight end Ben Coates became the first Patriot to hit the mark on Madden 99, which was released when John Madden still adorned the cover of a game and before high definition.

Gilly keeping it 99 @BumpNrunGilm0re | #99Club pic.twitter.com/DOccigzsHx

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 16, 2020

Gilmore is the seventh cornerback to receive at least a 99 rating. Deion Sanders was rated 100 for Madden 1999 and 2000, which made sense for the Hall of Famer. Seeing Champ Bailey (2005, ’07, ’08), Darrelle Revis and (Madden 2011, ’12, ’13), Richard Sherman (Madden 2015) earn 99s shouldn’t be a shock. Finding out Nnamdi Asomugha (2010) and Jason Sehorn (1999) were might qualify as surprises.

At 7 p.m. Friday, ESPN is hosting "The Madden Ratings" to reveal the rest of the ratings for this year’s version of the game. Several players have already been announced as part of the 99 Club and you can probably figure out the names without reading the next graph.

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald will be a 99 for the fourth straight year. Carolina Panthers running back/jackknife Christian McCaffrey earned the mark, as did reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.

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