John Madden (1936–2021) was an American football coach, commentator, and video game icon, among the NFL’s most influential figures. His impact spanned coaching, broadcasting, and gaming, making him a household name.
Born in Austin, Minnesota, Madden played college football at Cal Poly before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles (1958.) A knee injury ended his playing career, leading him to coaching. He joined the Oakland Raiders (1967) as a linebackers coach and became head coach (1969) at 32. Over 10 seasons, he led the Raiders to seven division titles and a Super Bowl XI victory (1977.) His .759 winning percentage remains one of the highest in NFL history.
Retiring in 1978, Madden became a beloved NFL commentator, working for CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC, winning 16 Sports Emmy Awards. His enthusiastic, insightful analysis revolutionized sports commentary.
Madden also lent his name to Madden NFL, which débuted in 1988 and became the best-selling football video game franchise. His books Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a Book!) (1984) and One Size Doesn’t Fit All (1988) offer insights into his coaching philosophy.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by John Madden
The fewer rules a coach has, the fewer there are for a player to break.
—John Madden
The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.
—John Madden
Topics: Winners, Winning
With all his tumid boasts, he’s like the sword-fish, who only wears his weapon in his mouth.
—John Madden
Topics: Speakers, Speaking
Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.
—John Madden
Topics: Optimism
Coaches have to watch for what they don’t want to see and listen to what they don’t want to hear.
—John Madden
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