Everything changed permanently for Leverette with the Madden NFL 22 season.
Realizing a change of scenery might be necessary to help him reach his goal, Leverette packed his bags in search of a new home base — and more importantly, reliable internet. After battling internet lag for years from his home in Illinois, Leverette found stability in Austin, Texas, along with a new roommate: Wesley Gittens, one of the fellow rising stars in Madden that Leverette befriended as he began to pursue the game seriously.
Around that same time, Leverette’s Madden career reached new heights.
His reign began in the Ultimate Wild Card tournament in January of this year, in which Leverette finally reached the Madden mountaintop by defeating K3rryQ in the final. Foreshadowing his victory over Johnson this September, Leverette needed one last stop near the end zone to win, batting down a pass on the final play to secure his first title belt and silence any doubt that he could finish the job.
It continued in the Madden Bowl in February 2022, where Leverette took down Wesley with a last-second touchdown pass to win what is considered the Super Bowl of Madden, capping an incredible year for the player once known simply as a phenom.
Leverette wasn’t done with the Madden Bowl, though. When the Ultimate Kickoff tournament — the first tournament of the new Madden NFL 23 season — reached its final, Leverette was there once again to battle for a belt.
As he emerged victorious over Johnson, his standing was confirmed: Leverette was one of the best to ever play Madden.
“I am like the top of the top,” Leverette said, only after being coerced into explaining his Madden standing. “I’ve done just about every single thing possible. I’ve been No. 1 the last three tournaments in a row, and before I was even getting No. 1, I was making every single live event, which is pretty rare. I’ve been playing Madden for around three years competitively now; that’s when I was allowed to compete. I’m almost No. 1 in live events made, and Madden has been doing competitive since Madden 16 (2015). A lot of people had four-year head starts, and I’m already caught up with them.
“Without sounding too crazy, I’m as good as it gets, pretty much.”
“He’s No. 1 in the world for a reason,” Noah Johnson told me. “He’s won three straight tournaments. His preparation for games is unmatched. His ability to adjust in the middle of the game, always make plays, he’s definitely one of the best players in the world and definitely deserves it.
… “It’s always fun playing against him because I just have that competitive drive where I don’t want to play against someone that’s not as good. I just love challenging myself and playing against him — obviously it didn’t end the way I wanted it to end, but you know.”