The name that most people will recognize from their favorite football video game, John Madden, died on Dec. 28. The one-time face of football is a legend to the game, whether it was on or off the field. Madden coached the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978 and held a career record of 103 wins, 32 losses and seven ties. His .759%-win percentage is the best of all time at the head coach position. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2006.
While he is known as one of the best coaches of all time, his time with a headset on is what many people remember him for. His commentary career spanned 30 years, starting in 1979 when he joined CBS, before he went on to work for Fox, ABC and NBC. He was such a good commentator that his contract in 1994 with Fox reportedly paid more than any player in the NFL was making. He is responsible for the “Galloping Gobbler,” as the commentator started the tradition of giving the “Most Valuable Player” from the Thanksgiving NFL games a turkey leg as a prize.
His All-Madden team that he started in 1984 is one of the most memorable things about him. Madden picked players that he thought played football the right way and represented it well. Players strived to be named to his hand-picked team.
When asked about what it meant to be All-Madden, Madden once said, “It’s a whole range of things. For defensive linemen and linebackers, it’s about Jack Youngblood playing with a busted leg, Lawrence Taylor wreaking havoc on the offense, and Reggie White making the other guy wish he put a little more in the collection plate at church. It’s about a guy who’s got a dirty uniform, mud on his face, and grass in the ear hole of his helmet.”
His name will live on forever on the cover of EA Sports Madden NFL games. The coach gave EA the 1980 Raiders playbook as a reference for the game. The game has been released annually since 1988, becoming one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. Some younger people know Madden as the “video game guy” and it’s perfectly reasonable. Many kids, and even adults, developed a love for football through his video games, and these individuals will take that with him forever.
