MAITLAND, Fla. -- It's not that often you can catch a politician by surprise, but it happened Monday afternoon when Gov. Jeb Bush visited the EA Sports studios in Maitland.

He knew he was there to get a sneak peek at Madden NFL 2006, but what he didn't know was that he was in the game.

It started out like any other news conference. Bush heaped praise on EA Sports, the video game maker whose Central Florida branch is responsible for the best-selling sports games in the country.

The governor spoke about how EA Sports' presence in the region, which is currently at 500 employees, will expand by hundreds more over the next few years. He said he hopes their growth and his incentives could position Orlando as the world's digital entertainment hub.

He even got to play the game for a while. But he found an extra treat that he wasn't expecting, one that's encoded in the game.

"It's a video of me playing on the Miami Dolphins and my brother playing strong safety on the Dallas Cowboys," the governor.

In the game, Jeb Bush breaks into the clear, catches the pass, and finds himself with only one man to beat -- the president.

"The wide receiver on the Dolphins scores as he tramples over the strong safety for the Cowboys," the governor said laughing. "It's great. I'm sure my brother will like it."

As much fun as it was to watch himself in the game, he said it'll be even more fun to watch Central Florida increase its presence in a rapidly growing and high-paying industry.

Critics are calling this year's Madden NFL 2006 the best in the series. It goes on sale at midnight.