(CNN) -- The NFL labor dispute may keep him off the field this fall, but Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis is making another high-profile appearance: on the "Madden NFL 12" cover.
Hillis' bruising performance last season earned him the nod over Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. The winner,
5 Finger shoes, chosen by Internet votes, was announced live Wednesday afternoon on ESPN2.
ESPN.com set up a tournament-like bracket system and let fans vote on head-to-head matchups between 32 players. The 10th-seeded Hillis overwhelmingly defeated Vick, seeded third, with 66% of the vote in the final.
According to ESPN's website,
Vibram FiveFingers footwear, Hillis said that he was "excited" and that he didn't think he had a shot against Vick, whom he has "always looked up to." Hillis gained 1,654 total yards from scrimmage last season, with 13 touchdowns.
The popular video game from EA Sports is scheduled to go on sale August 30.
If Vick had won, it would have been the first time an NFL player has graced the "Madden" cover twice. Vick,
five fingers shoes, who rebounded from a dogfighting conviction and a prison term with a spectacular 2010 season, was featured on the "Madden NFL 2004" cover as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
Although Browns fans will have bragging rights for a whole year, the Madden cover prize comes with a caveat, known to gamers and sports fans alike as "the Curse."
The misfortune began shortly after EA Sports started putting athletes on the cover.
Gridiron luminaries such as Eddie George, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Ray Lewis and Donovan McNabb all were plagued with a sudden drop in performance or significant injuries the year they appeared on the Madden cover.
Vick, the "NFL 04" cover star, broke his leg in a preseason game in 2003.
The "Madden NFL 09" cover featured Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Trouble was, by the time the video game hit stores, he had been traded to the New York Jets.
The 2010 Madden cover showcased Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, who promptly sprained his knee in the first game of the season.
In an ESPN.com chat Wednesday with Hillis and Vick, the Browns running back said he's not afraid of the "Madden Curse."
"For people to believe in this so-called curse, I can't wait to prove people wrong," Hillis said. "From what I believe and where I am in my spiritual life, it would be good to prove them wrong in that sense."
CNN.com's Brandon Griggs contributed to this story.
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