For the last 11 years, I’ve been able to share my love of football with each of you in different ways. From writing on this website, to several contribution jobs on radio shows and hosting my own podcast, Monday Evening Quarterback. In certain sports, you can automatically associate some legendary names with their particular sport. Basketball, Michael Jordan. Hockey, Wayne Gretzky. Baseball, Hank Aaron. In football, there are a few. Vince Lombardi, the trophy everyone fights for is named after him. Jim Brown and Walter Payton, two of the greatest running backs in history. Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history. Then, one who will always stand out to me is Mr. John Earl Madden. Tonight, I type this reporting to you that the iconic legend in our game has passed away at the age of 85.
Mr. Madden was one of the smartest football minds I’ve come to know. He was drafted in 1958 by the Philadelphia Eagles but was assigned to their practice squad. Unfortunately, an injury sidelined him and he wasn’t able to play his rookie year. John ended up becoming a coach and would end up being hired by the-then Oakland Raiders in 1969 as their new head coach at the age of 32, the youngest head coach in the game at the time. In six of his first seven seasons, he led the Raiders to a division title. However, the best was yet to come. In 1976, he led the Raiders to the top of the football world and helped them capture their first Super Bowl title. He won his title and became the youngest head coach to win 100 games, something he was able to do in ten full seasons by the age of 42. Mr. Madden is the winningest coach in Raiders history.
In 1979, he became a full-time broadcaster and was hired by CBS. He was paired with Pat Summerall and the two went on to call five Super Bowls for the network. Throughout his broadcasting career, Mr. Madden worked for Fox, ABC, and NBC. Not only was he innovative as a broadcaster, but he was also a teacher and, in every broadcast, he would provide the ins and outs of the game. In every game he called, you heard the love and passion in his voice. He was also so detailed with his analysis. He always showed what a team or a player did correctly and how they were able to execute a particular play. After his first broadcasting role with CBS, Mr. Madden would go on to work for Fox Sports in 1994 and Pat Summerall joined him. With Fox, he and Pat called three more Super Bowls for the network, including Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl victory. His last game with Fox would be in 2002. For the upcoming season, Mr. Madden then worked for ABC Sports with Al Michaels and the two would call Monday Night Football games from 02-05. In 2006, Mr. Madden would go on to work for NBC Sports with Al Michaels as his play-by-play guy once again. He called the final game of his broadcasting career on February 1st, 2009. It was a Super Bowl between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
I can sit here and say without John Madden, football broadcasting isn’t what it is today. He was an icon not only in the world of football but in the world of broadcasting. This man changed the broadcasting game as a whole. He truly took it all and ran with it. Without him, I am not doing what I’m doing today. I often refer to this man as the “Michael Jordan of football analysts”. I can say that many in broadcasting have been impacted by him. He’s a larger-than-life icon that will be missed dearly. Mr. Madden is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined as a member of the Class of 2006. I would like to offer my condolences to his family and those who knew him. Also, I would like to thank him for opening the door for me to share that same love of football that he had. May he rest in peace.
