Who was the first athlete to appear on the cover of a Madden video game?

From the alleged "Madden Curse" to some of the biggest names in the sport gracing the cover of the preeminent video game in American football, there's always a sense of hushed anticipation when the next year's cover athlete is announced.

But back when the idea of a football video game seemed way too complex to work, but legendary coach and commentator John Madden put his name behind it anyway, there was considerably less interest in what the cover would look like. Still, someone had to kick this thing off. Who was it?

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