Having never played a single minute in the NFL, John Madden He is one of the legends of American football. What he did not achieve on the field as a player, he crowned as a coach. Although his entry into American homes and the entire world was from his role as an analyst and emblem of the video game that bears his name.
The SportingNews reviews the life of Madden, who died on 28 December 2021 aged 85.
Who was John Madden?
After a distinguished career as a college player, Madden was selected with the 244th overall pick in the 1958 Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.. However, his path was cut short before he started: an injury to one of his knees in training prevented him from fulfilling his dream.
Despite the disappointments, John continued to play college sports and in 1967 assumed the role of linebacker coach at Oakland Raiders, franchise today based in Las Vegas. That campaign, the team reached Super Bowl II, losing to Green Bay 33-14.
At the end of the following season, John Rauch, the head coach, left for the Buffalo Bills and Madden was left to lead the group. This is where the real story begins: He was only 32, the youngest DT at the time.
In his first campaign, he was close to glory: losing the AFL championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs after a 12-1-1 record. In 1970 he fell into the same situation again: this time against Baltimore (now the Indianapolis Colts). He won’t make the playoffs in the next one.
In 1972 he would bow in his first postseason game and then reel off three straight losses leading up to the Super Bowl. Miami and Pittsburgh, in two cases, their executioners. The “loser” nickname was one that Madden had earned, and in 1976 he shut everyone up.
After going 13-1 in the regular season, the Raiders beat the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings in a row to win Super Bowl XI. With an overwhelming 32-14, Madden pulled the trigger to capture the ring.
In 1977, Oakland again fell in the championship game (against the Denver Broncos) and the following year, after failing to qualify for the postseason, Madden retired at age 42. This would lead to his next phase: celebrity commentator.
During the 1980s and 1990s, in a duo with Pat Summerall, John formed the most famous duo of the time. The team began airing on CBS and then, after negotiations, landed on FOX. In 1984 he created the All-Madden team, which represents the best in the league. He did this until 2001.
In 1994, from the 10th anniversary, he selected the team of the decade. Three years later he would assemble the All-Madden Super Bowl Team and at the turn of the century, the All-Time All-Madden Team. All Madden was such a strong brand that it was named after one of his published books. His legacy is undeniable and as of August 5, 2006 he is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.
John Madden as a video game
During the 80s, John Madden’s fame was such that Electronic Arts, the video game company specializing in sports, decided to make a game with his name in 1988. At that time it was impossible to call it NFL. The franchises or the actual players didn’t even exist. These integrations would arrive in 1994, although the name remained.
All Madden covers pic.twitter.com/YlENVNT4E7
— King Wize® (@iamkingwize) July 11, 2022
The epic is extremely famous and collects millions of sales in each edition. He has even led the overall ranking for some seasons. John was the cover of the game for the first 11 releases and will return for Madden 23 as a tribute to his death. Some of the most famous figures have passed through the cover, such as Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
