John Madden: A Legacy That Will Never Be Forgotten

Icon, Legend, Football. The phrase “once in a generation” seems to be tossed too often, far more often than it should be in sports, but when it came to John Madden, this couldn’t even begin to sum up what he represented. The bottom line is that Madden found something he loved and made it his life.

Madden started on both offense and defense as a player for California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo in 1957 and 1958, and was voted to the All-Conference team. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him as a future choice in the 21st round of the 1958 NFL Draft, but a knee injury in his rookie season prematurely ended his playing career. Madden spent 10 seasons as head coach of the Oakland Raiders and brought the franchise its first championship with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. From 1969 to 1978, Madden never had a losing season in his head coaching career and compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record. He was the youngest coach in NFL history to eclipse the 100-win mark when he achieved the feat at the age of 42, and Madden remains the winningest coach in Raiders history. He also holds the best winning percentage by an NFL head coach at .759. A winning percentage ranking as highest among coaches with 100 career victories. Only Hall of Fame coaches George Halas and Curly Lambeau had reached 100 career wins at an earlier age. In leaving the Raiders, the then 42-year‐old Madden put an end to rumors that he was headed to coach elsewhere, particularly the Giants. “I'm an Oakland Raider, I always will be an Oakland Raider, and I never respected people who moved from team to team. Loyalty has always been an important thing and trait of mine and it will continue to prevail.” 

John Madden’s shocking exit from Oakland in 1979, has been questioned by NFL fans, and analysts ever since. During the final press conference, there was a lot of tension between the Raiders and John Madden. Seated to Madden's right was the Raiders' managing general partner and owner, Al Davis, who bit his lip constantly while Madden spoke. Davis, the man who promoted Madden from assistant coach ten years ago, had been rumored to be disenchanted with Madden's 1978 coaching performance. “It's just trash, that's all. I don't believe in speculation, I'm not a man who just fires someone, I like to sit down and discuss a situation and the direction we're heading before I make any moves. John's been fired eight times in ten years, according to speculation. I don't think that I'd want a man who just agreed with everything I said.” The Raiders only made one Super Bowl appearance ever since. 

There was no clear cut path for Madden on what he was going to do so Madden went home to his family, but that wasn’t long until John Madden was offered a new job. CBS offered Madden to be chosen as a color commentator for several NFL games. However, Madden never envisioned himself pursuing a career in broadcasting. He believed it was, “a waste of time.” CBS wasn’t willing to give up on Madden, the company practically needed someone for play by play commentary.

Madden then made the leap to broadcasting, getting his start at CBS as the color commentator just in time for the 1979-80 NFL campaign. Madden spent his first 15 years in broadcasting at CBS. There he introduced his Thanksgiving tradition of presenting a turducken, a turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken to the winning team on Thanksgiving and all future holiday games. Madden was excelling in the broadcasting industry, so it was no surprise that other networks such as FOX, and ABC were willing to offer Madden a job for their slate of NFL games. FOX did win the John Madden sweepstakes and along with legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall, both made primetime games, entertaining, action packed, and enjoyable. Madden had viewers laughing due to his comedic acts in the broadcast booth such as criticizing Cowboys hall of fame quarterback, Troy Aikman, for not having a mustache, and analyzing “family” gatorade buckets. Following the turn of the upcoming century, ABC followed FOX and reached a deal with Madden, having him partner up with current sports broadcaster, Al Michaels. The purpose was to promote Monday Night Football, to get the same attention and views as Sunday’s games. John Madden spent four years with ABC, and then it was off to NBC for the final few years as a legendary sports broadcaster. Dick Ebersol, then the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, said, “He’s the best analyst in the history of sports. He’s able to cut through from people my age, who remembered him as a coach, all the way to twelve-year-olds.” Throughout his 30 years in broadcasting, Madden received 16 Sports Emmy Awards, including 15 for top analyst. 

During the early years of John Madden’s broadcasting journey, he had a new idea on his mind. Madden wanted to promote a video game for all ages, all about football. Trip Hawkins, the founder of Electronic Arts, first met with Madden in 1984 to discuss a potential opportunity for Madden’s video game concept to see if it was worthy to be under the name EA Sports. The inaugural meeting was very unusual, as it took place in the dining car of an Amtrak train. For several hours, Hawkins and Madden went back and forth because Madden didn’t like the way Trip was revising his plans for the games. The initial plan was a seven-on-seven football game as opposed to the traditional 11-on-11 football game. Madden believed that it “it wasn’t really football” and Hawkins had to follow Madden’s wishes and eventually agreed. It took nearly four years even to produce one video game due to lack of the proper technology. Finally, in 1988, the original John Madden Football video game was released for Apple II computer only. This forced people into purchasing the computer that went for $1,200, solely to play the John Madden video game. 

Decades later, the Madden NFL series of video games continues to sell millions of copies annually, and has helped turn E.A. into one of the world’s most prominent gaming companies and has left a lasting mark on football fandom and the NFL. Now in 2022, the Madden video game franchise has generated more than $7 billion in revenue since the first installment. “Every dorm room right now, every basement, every couch, there’s people sitting down playing Madden,” said Scott Cole, a longtime sports broadcaster who has called games for several years for the Madden Championship Series, the most competitive Madden NFL tournaments. Throughout its existence, the Madden video game franchise has sold more than 130 million copies through the year 2018. For decades, John Madden graced the cover of the video games, unlike legends like Jerry Rice, and Barry Sanders. This was later changed in the year 2000, when Titans running back Eddie George became the first player displayed on the Madden video game. The tradition of having the top past or present players grace the cover still lives on today. 

In 2006, it was now time for John Madden to retire from football for good, and the NFL wasn’t quick to hesitate about enshrining Madden and all he’s done for the game of football in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. While in his gold jacket, Madden delivered one of the most inspirational hall of fame speeches in NFL history. “I just want to say in closing that it's been a great ride. I want to thank everyone who has been along for any part of it. Speaking of great rides, I was lucky enough to be carried off the field after we won Super Bowl XI (11). I was told it took like five or six guys to lift me up, then they dropped me. But that's okay, because that was me and that was them. They aren't going to carry me off. You carry him off for a while, boom, you dump him on the ground. But it was the happiest moment of my life. Today feels like the second time in my life that I'm being carried off the shoulders of others. Yet instead of off the field, it's into the Hall of Fame. Instead of five or six guys today, I ride on the shoulders of hundreds of friends, coaches, players, colleagues, and family. I just say this, I thank you all very much. This has been the sweetest ride of 'em all. "I have never worked a day in my life. I went from player to coach to a broadcaster and I am the luckiest guy in the world.”

In December of 2021, FOX promoted the idea to honor the legacy of John Madden with a documentary to premiere on Christmas day. “All Madden”, the documentary that was to showcase the life of John Madden and how he changed the game of football for the better. Not even a month after the documentary aired, it has been seen by millions from around the world. 

December 28, 2021, was a very sad day for the sports world, as the legendary Hall of Fame coach, broadcaster, and video game pioneer, John Madden passed away at the age of 85. The cause of death was and still is unknown. Madden died unexpectedly that morning leaving NFL players and fans in a state of shock and sorrow. The news coverage didn’t break until later that evening due to the unconfirmed reports. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement later that evening."On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, and Joe Madden and their families,"Nobody liked football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today."

On social media sites, NFL players, past and present, considered Madden a legend, one of the greatest of all time, and a joy to be around. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones stated, "I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden, and I know of no one who loved the game more. There is no one who lived a more beautiful football life than John Madden." 

John Madden was synonymous with the sport of football for more than 50 years. His knowledge of the game was second only to his love for it, and his appreciation for everyone that ever stepped on the gridiron. A humble champion, a willing teacher, and forever a coach. He will greatly be missed, always remembered, and never forgotten. 

“Coaching isn’t work. It’s more than a job. It’s a way of life…no one should go into coaching unless he couldn’t live without it…Football is what I am. I didn’t go into it to make a living or because I enjoyed it. There is much more to it than just enjoying it. I am totally consumed by football, totally involved. I’m not into gardening…or any other hobbies. I don’t fish or hunt. I’m into football.”- John Madden