Peyton Hillis, Latest Victim of 'Madden Curse,' Reportedly Considered Leaving Football to Join CIA

The name's Hillis. Peyton Hillis.

After rushing for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns (catching another two) in 2010, a statistical output good enough to earn him an appearance on the cover of Madden 12, the Cleveland Browns running back was a dud in 2011. Hillis appeared in just 10 games, compiling only 587 yards and watching his yards per carry dip from 4.4 in 2010 to 3.6 in 2011.

It could have been the "Madden Curse" striking again, injuries taking their toll, Hillis' looming free agency or a lack of desire. Then again, it could have been because Hillis had thoughts of tracking down those who pose a threat to the United States of America.

Say what?

Well, apparently Hillis' focus wasn't solely on football this past season, as the Cleveland running back considered retirement last offseason, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. And not only did Hillis consider leaving the game of football, but he reportedly thought about joining the CIA.

At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, Hillis is a physically imposing figure capable of trucking over defensive backs en route to the end zone. But he'd also be pretty intimidating while working to protect the interests of this country.

Such a career wouldn't land Hillis any video game covers going forward, but judging by his performance in 2011, the 26-year-old would probably be OK with that. And Hillis was a sociology major at Arkansas, so perhaps a career with the CIA has always been in the back of his mind.

Hillis reportedly plans to remain in football, though, and the Browns aren't expected to use their franchise tag on the free-agent, although they'd like to bring him back if the contract is right.

This CIA news also comes on the heels of a book excerpts that stated Tiger Woods considered becoming a Navy SEAL a few years ago. Stay tuned for more details on Tom Brady the astronaut.

Photo of the Day

Hillis (far left) is seen here alongside Clay Matthews and Ray Lewis at the EA Sports Madden 12 demo at the 2011 EA E3 Press Conference in Los Angeles. It's safe to say Packers fans and Ravens fans alike are probably thrilled it wasn't their superstar that ended up on the video game's cover.

Photo via Flickr/EA.com