John Madden was one of the legends of American football, a hero, and one of the best commentators of all time. John Madden, whose last name graces one of the most famous video games in the world, passed away at the age of 85.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press release, “Nobody loved football more than he did.”
John Madden was born on April 10 in Texas, United States, but grew up in Daly City, California, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees while playing for Cal Poly. Later, he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles, but a knee injury at an early age prevented him from reaching the NFL.
Madden did not give up on his dream, and made his debut as a college soccer coach, until 1967 when Al Davis brought him to Oakland, where he coached the Raiders. His team won seven AFC (American Football Confederation) title games and a Super Bowl in the 1976 season, beating the Vikings 32-14.
Despite his success, he retired prematurely as a coach at the age of 42, however, his fame did not wane as he jumped on game broadcasts and became part of the lives of many Americans who looked forward to hearing his excitement, knowledge and unique expressions.
Between 1979 and 2009 he covered 11 Super Bowls for four television networks, and his style won an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for a sports personality. His retirement was marked by Pittsburgh’s thrilling 27 – 23 victory over Arizona.
His name was immortalized after EA (Electronic Arts), the video game developer, included him as a key player in crafting the first sports game that actually came close to the real thing.
After being a sensation as a commentator, making it to the Hall of Fame and having a number of advertising contracts to sell, from beer to hardware, John Madden was contacted by Trip Hawkings, owner and founder of EA, who prepared a 60-page binder detailing the project and anticipating questions for the coach. He presented it to him on a two-day train ride, as Madden was afraid of flying.
John agreed to participate in the development and together with producer Joe Ybarra presented in 1988, almost 6 years after they had started, John Madden Football, the first American football game for the Apple II, which despite being only 8-bit felt like a real game. Soon after, Sega brought it to its 16-bit Genesis console, making it a unique experience for users and catapulting EA into sports video game dominance.