He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 21st round of the 1958 NFL Draft, but a knee injury ended his professional career before it could begin. Madden grew up just outside San Francisco and earned all-conference honors as an offensive tackle (although he started on both offense and defense) at Cal Poly University. It was football, it was fun, it was insight, it was the whole package.” “He was brilliant at bridging the gap between sports and entertainment. “John had the ability to talk to every level of fan,” says Sandy Grossman, who spent more than two decades directing Madden and his long-time play-by-play partner, Pat Summerall, at CBS and Fox. During 50-plus years in football, the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer cemented his standing as a cultural icon, attracting a whole new audience to the game and driving interest in the NFL like never before. Known as much for his lively, colorful personality as for his in-depth commentary, he spent three decades calling NFL games for all four major networks. It remains the only officially licensed NFL video game series.In the business of sports broadcasting, few names are as ubiquitous as John Madden’s. Featuring Madden's color commentary and simulated playbooks, the game debuted in 1988 and has released annually since 1990. The face of 'Madden'ĭuring Madden's foray into broadcasting, he lent his name, voice and likeness to the now-famous "Madden NFL" video game series from EA Sports. He finished his TV career as a 16-time Emmy Award winner. After Fox (1994-2001), Madden teamed up with Al Michaels for "Sunday Night Football" on ABC (2002-2005) and NBC Sports (2006-2008) before retiring. His excitable personality and trademark catchphrases - "Boom!" - helped him become a mainstay in the business, and he remained with CBS until 1994, when he transitioned to Fox on a lucrative deal that saw him call another three Super Bowls. He became the network's top color man alongside Pat Summerall in 1981, calling five Super Bowls. Madden wasted no time transitioning from the sidelines to the booth, joining CBS as a color commentator in 1979. 759 winning percentage is the greatest of all time among head coaches with at least 100 wins. He retired after the 1978 season having never suffered a losing season, not to mention as the youngest coach to reach 100 total victories, logging a 103-32-7 career record. He finally got over the hump in 1976, leading the 13-1 Raiders to Super Bowl XI, where his club routed Bud Grant's Vikings for the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy. Madden went 12-1-1 in his first year running the Raiders, making the first of seven career trips to the AFC Championship (AFL in 1969). Everything about him was big - his size, his personality, his success - over the ensuing decade (1969-1978) that he served as head coach. By 1969, after head coach John Rauch's resignation, Madden was already atop Al Davis' staff, becoming the NFL's youngest head coach at age 32. Then based in Oakland as part of the yet-to-be-merged AFL, the Raiders hired Madden as their linebackers coach in 1967, and he helped the team advance to Super Bowl II in his first year. With his name on the map, San Diego State came calling in 1964, naming him defensive coordinator - a post he held from 1964-1966 under future College Football Hall of Famer Don Coryell. After two years as an assistant, he was promoted to head coach, leading the team from 1962-1963. Madden's first job came at Allan Hancock College, a community college in Santa Maria, California, in 1960. Madden later revealed that he developed an affinity for teaching football by studying film with then-Eagles quarterback Norm Van Brocklin while injured. The Eagles drafted Madden in the 21st round of the 1958 draft, two years before Philadelphia won the NFL championship, but a separate knee injury in training camp ended his career before it began. He eventually got a scholarship from Oregon alongside friend and future USC and Rams coach John Robinson, bounced to Grays Harbor College after a knee injury resulted in a redshirt season, then finally landed with Cal Poly, where he earned all-conference honors as an offensive tackle. Here's a timeline of Madden's career as a titan of the industry: College daysīorn in Minnesota and raised in California, Madden starred in high school football before playing offensive and defensive line at the College of San Mateo. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it best, in remembrance, on Tuesday: John Madden was football - an icon of the sport, a mentor of the game, a voice for generations. The NFL lost one of its biggest legends Tuesday with the unexpected passing of John Madden, 85, the retired Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster.
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