Dat Nguyen Madden Career 2002-2006 - Peak 91 OVR

Dat Nguyen was born in a refugee camp at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, after his family fled the fall of Saigon, and he grew into the most decorated defender in Texas A&M history. As a senior in 1998 he swept the Bednarik, Lombardi, and Lambert awards and left College Station with 517 tackles, a school record. He became the first Vietnamese-American to play in the NFL.

Dallas took him in the third round in 1999, 85th overall, and though he stood barely six feet tall, he diagnosed plays a beat before they developed. Nguyen led the Cowboys in tackles in 2001, 2003, and 2004, earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2003, and anchored the middle of Bill Parcells' defense. Neck and knee problems forced him to retire in March 2006 at just 30.

In Madden he climbed the way his career did. He opened as a 75 in the 2000 edition and held in the 70s while he established himself, then jumped to a 90 in the 2004 game and a career-best 91 in the 2005 edition, right as his real production peaked. Few linebackers his size ever saw the field this clearly.