The Athletes of Sega Genesis Sports Video Games – Where Have They Gone?

Not long ago, we interviewed legendary fighter Evander Holyfield who said he wouldn’t stop boxing until he became heavyweight champion of the world again. The man was completely serious and made many of us question his sanity. In response to Holyfield’s claim, our man Harvey Bars of Tirico Suave said “If you have a Sega Genesis game named after you, it’s probably time to retire.” Well that comment seemed so accurate it inspired us to examine every single Sega Genesis sports game to see where those athletes and coaches have gone. Get ready for a trip down memory lane.

Joe Montana Football – Montana went on to set a career-high in passing yards with 3,944 the season after this game was released on New Year’s Day 1990. The following season, an elbow injury essentially ended his time in San Francisco, and he retired after two relatively successful seasons in Kansas City. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, Montana was named the fourth greatest player in NFL history by the NFL Network.

Troy Aikman NFL Football – Following a year in which he posted a career-high 99.0 passer rating and led his team to its second-straight Super Bowl victory, this game was released on June 1, 1994. Aikman would play seven more seasons and win one more Super Bowl before retiring in 2000 due in large part to several concussions. He’s been nominated for an Emmy for his work as a color commentator for Fox Network and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Prime Time NFL Football starring Deion Sanders – Sanders had just been named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year when this game was released on Jan. 1, 1995. The two-sport star played in 137 combined games between the Reds and the Giants and missed the first half of that NFL season after knee surgery. Sanders retired in 2001, only to return three years later to play parts of two seasons with the Ravens. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

Bill Walsh College Football – Walsh was preparing for the third and final year of his second stint at Stanford when this game was released on June 1, 1994. While he didn’t exactly create the West Coast Offense, he perfected it, leading the 49ers to three Super Bowl titles in 10 years. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame a year earlier, in 1993. The legendary coach passed away in 2007 because of leukemia.

Mike Ditka Power Football – This game was released on Dec. 31, 1991 — two days after Ditka’s Bears lost to the Cowboys in the Wild Card round. Ditka would coach just one more season for the Bears, winning just five games. He’d come back to coach the Saints in 1997, winning just 15 games in three seasons, but his time in New Orleans is best known for his controversial trade of eight draft picks for Ricky Williams in 1999. Ditka is currently an ESPN analyst and has his name on everything from restaurants to resorts to wine.

Jerry Glanville’s PigSkin Footbrawl – Glanville was never particularly successful as an NFL head coach — going 60-69 in nine seasons — but got his name on this game due to his brash, outspoken demeanor. Released on Jan. 1, 1992, it came after one of Glanville’s more successful seasons (10-6), but just two years before he would retire from coaching. Glanville went on to own and drive a truck in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series from 1995-1999.