John Madden, beloved football player, coach, and commentator passed away on December 28 at the age of 85.
Madden made his legacy known when he was coaching the Raiders for 10 years. His smarts, play calls, and game knowledge all are what made him so good at the game.
In his ten-year stint as coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, Madden made it to seven AFC title games and won the Super Bowl in 1976.
“I didn’t know John Madden until I played the Madden Sports games, after hearing about his death I got nostalgic of my childhood and I read about him and I now have a better appreciation of his legacy.” Will Thumann, a Senior at Brophy.
The Madden Football game that has been around since its startup in 1988 has been a staple football game across many different platforms and consoles.
“I’ve played Madden 20 and older Madden games and they were always so fun to play, especially when I was playing against my friends,” said Dylan Lies, a Senior.
Madden may not have as many super bowls wins as other coaches, but what made Madden one of the best coaches was his winning percentage. The work ethic and toughness he put into the team are what made his percentage so high.
.759 has been the highest win percentage across the league, compared to Bill Belichick’s .684.
Back when he started his career in 1969 with the Raiders, he was the youngest ever to coach. He showed why he was fit for the job after 20 years of coaching them with a 103-31-7 regular season record. The raiders were one the the hardest and toughest teams to beat at the time.
Madden also made a name for himself in many ads and commercials. According to Bleacher Report, he did Miller Lite commercials alongside people like Bubba Smith and many other well known people.
John died of unexpected causes in Pleasanton California, but died knowing his Legacy will be known and remembered.