Marshawn Lynch appears as character in new 'Call of Duty' game

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is a big fan of the “Call of Duty” video game franchise. Now Beast Mode himself will be a character in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, becoming the first athlete to appear as a character in a COD game.

ESPN the Magazine got a behind the scenes look at Lynch’s trip to Activision Motion Capture Studio in Los Angeles to see what it took to integrate the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Lynch into the game.

Lynch has been a fan of the games going back to his college days at Cal. He says playing online is a good way to “keep in contact” with teammates and a “fun-loving way to let off some stress.”

“You’re shooting up everything but always fighting for a bigger picture,” Lynch told ESPN the Mag. “The whole game is Beast Mode.”

Lynch went through the whole process. 360-degree and 3-D images of his facial features, frame and his movements were captured before he acted out a scene with members of his virtual crew featuring Lynch wielding plastic handguns and a rifle.

 From ESPN the Mag:

Action! Lynch beckons his men to the table. "I'll show you how a playa live!" he says. Once seated, he pantomimes smoking from a hookah. He coughs. He swigs his imaginary beer. He burps. He turns to the actor with the funny accent. "Where you from again?" he asks Jenkins. "England," the Brit replies. "Y'all got good grass in England?" Lynch asks. "We got football," Jenkins says. "F--- football," Lynch counters. "I'm talking about that good grass!" Rosas cuts through the laughter with direction: "The bosses walk in! Get up. Aim now. Move forward to intimidate. And fire!"

The actors let fly a barrage of make-believe bullets before sprinting offstage. And cut! "That was brilliant!" Rosas cries. "You're a one-take wonder!"

"On my way out here, I was nervous," Lynch says. "Now I'm fittin' to join the Army!"

It goes without saying: Lynch enjoyed his experience.

“I’ve been in the Super Bowl, movies, music videos, Madden. But to have your own character in Duty, I mean, it’s almost like you arrived,” Lynch said.

The game, which is set for release in early November, officially has the Beast Mode seal of approval.