There's a specific kind of joy that hits the first time you see yourself in a video game. Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander is about to find out exactly what that feels like.

Alexander is getting an early start on his season. Not on the field, but on the couch. The Commodores running back is one of the real players featured in EA Sports College Football 27, and he's been open about how much it means to him to see his own name and likeness in a game he grew up playing. You can read the full story over at USA Today.

This is one of those stories that reminds you why the College Football series means so much to the people who actually suit up every Saturday. The return of the franchise brought real energy back to college football gaming. And having actual players in the game has clearly meant something to the athletes themselves.

If you've ever spent hours in a character creator trying to make yourself look right in an RPG, you get the appeal. Now imagine the game did it for you, put you on an SEC field in front of a packed stadium, and handed you the controller. Pretty wild.

When players are genuinely excited to be in the game, it adds something real that goes beyond ratings or rosters. Alexander is carrying that same energy, and honestly, it never gets old.

The real season will come soon enough. For now, Alexander gets a head start, even if it's just on a screen.