5 greatest moments of John Madden's NFL career
Legendary NFL coach, broadcaster and video-game inspiration John Madden passed away at the age of 85. There are few people in the annals of the NFL who can claim to have had an influence in popularizing football the way Madden did. Known across three generations for his presence in the game, we look back fondly at the greatest moments from John Madden's career.
NFL legend John Madden has passed away at the age of 85.
RIP 🙏 https://t.co/fiDTmsLN3c
The moments that we talk about here encompass his entire NFL career, across his spell on the sidelines as a coach, in the gantry as a broadcaster and as the face of a video game empire. In each of these professions, he had moments that did not just flash and fade, but left an imprint that stretched through time. Whether it is the longevity and popularity of Madden as a video game, or the modern way of commentating where analysis is at the forefront, moments that made John Madden essentially revolutionized the way we consume the NFL.
Thus, his moments are not so much one-time affairs, than they are an inspiration that led to perpetual greatness. We celebrate them all in his passing.
John Madden: the video game inspiration and the Turducken
#1 - The inspiration for video games
Perhaps this generation knew John Madden solely by the name he lent to the video game. The moments that led to it are equally fascinating.
Trip Hawkins approached Madden asking for his endorsement for a video game. But for John Madden, lending his name to something meant that it had to be realistic. He insisted that the game feature 11 players and not six or seven as was originally planned due to limitations. In return, John Madden gave the developers the 1980 Raiders playbook so that it followed authentic play design and rules. What came out in 1988 was the first edition of John Madden Football. And the rest is history.
The first-ever Madden video game cover from 1988. Just one of the many legacies John Madden leaves behind for the game of football. https://t.co/JzFvdQ8EEQ
#2 - The Turducken
This became one of the most beloved of traditions on Thanksgiving Day in the NFL. In 1997, in New Orleans, John Madden first feasted on what he called a "Turducken."
John Madden takes to the Telestrator and teaches us how to carve a Turducken in 2002. RIP to an unforgettable man and coach, a voice for a generation https://t.co/PBByfQyHFt
It was a combination of turkey, duck and chicken and John Madden enjoyed it so much that he talked about it on air and set about making it the highest honor one could receive from him. Thus began a tradition of Madden offering the 'Turducken' to the best player on Thanksgiving Day.