Michael "Duke" Crandall is fresh off a Madden Challenge regional championship in Houston where he recorded the largest margin of victory to date. This LSU student, who hails from Atlanta, trains heavily at an online community he helps run called The Madden Lab. At the Lab, he, along with some other big names in Madden, exchange tips and tricks with each other all in the quest to be the top Madden player in the nation. Here is what "Duke" thinks about this year's challenge and life at the lab.


How many years have you competed in the Madden Challenge?

This is my fourth year.


What was your best finish before this?

I've been a runner up and have had several final four appearances.


How long have you been at The Madden Lab?

I have been with it since the very start. We created it in the summer of 2006.


Word was, you were not even planning on competing in Houston. Tell us the story; how did you end up competing?

I had been very busy with school and did not think it would be possible for me to take anytime off. I was on the way home from class on the Friday afternoon before the challenges that weekend, and I got a call from some of my friends who were going to drive to Dallas and Houston. They wanted to know if I was still not going. I ended up going just because I hated to know everyone else would be there, but me.

In Houston, I literally had gone three days without food and sleep. I also had drove about 15 hours. I may as well been dead. I wasn't even planning to play until the very last second. I thought if I was going to wait for my boys to play, I may as well play too. I was the last person to enter the tournament.


Like all the other regional qualifiers, you used the San Diego Chargers. What was it about them that attracted you?

They have a good defense for the style I play. The run game is tough this year to get going so having LT is a huge advantage.


You made Madden Challenge history by recording the biggest margin of victory, how does that feel?

It feels very good. There was a lot of talk about how current gen players like myself would get dominated by the players who have been playing on next gen the past few years. To utterly blow out one of those next gen players in the championship was hilarious to me.


Talk about "Senor Range" a little bit. Did he have any strong points to his game?

No. I'm not trying to be rude, but I really don't see how he beat so many good players that day.