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You don't have to be a fan of football to be aware of the Madden video game franchise. It's been around since 1988 and remains a staple in video games to this day.
Since 1988, the series has sold over 130 million copies and generated over $4 billion in revenue, with a new version dropping every year. Football fans all over the world are familiar with the NFL video game series, but a gamer with no interest in contact sports may not know what the game is by the title alone. They might ask themselves what exactly Madden has to do with football or the NFL.
Madden NFL is named after Hall of Fame coach John Madden
The Madden franchise started back in 1988 and the name of the series comes from Pro Football Hall of Fame coach John Madden.
John Madden was once drafted in the 21st round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, but never got the opportunity to play a single game. He was forced to retire due to a knee injury.
He became a college football coach and rose through the ranks to eventually land a job as head coach for the Oakland Raiders in 1969. For ten seasons, he led the Raiders to a winning record every year and won their division seven times.
After losing the AFC Championship game three times in a row, Madden and the Raiders won Super Bowl XI in 1976, going 13-1 during the season.
After his retirement with a 103-32-7 record, John Madden started his "third" career, which eventually led to the creation of the Madden NFL video game. In 1979, Madden joined CBS as a color commentator and soon became one of the best in the business. He would go on to work for CBS, Fox Sports, ABC Sports and NBC.
From 1979 to 2009, Madden won 12 Emmy Awards and joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. More importantly, he allowed his namesake, personality, and voice to be used for the Madden video game.
For thirteen years, John Madden graced the cover of the video game, until players began to appear as cover athletes in 2001. Still, his name was retained as the title of the video game even after he retired as a commentator and his voice was no longer in the game.
You could argue Madden is better known for the video game series than as a Super Bowl-winning coach. In fact, he played a large role in the initial creation of Madden NFL, viewing it as an educational tool to help teach and test plays on the field. Even in 2012, he stated the video game was "a way for people to learn the game."
Sadly, John Madden passed away this week, but his legacy will live on in the Madden franchise. Madden 23 will be the 36th edition of the game, and many fans are already pleading for EA Sports to release a special edition focusing around John Madden and bringing the franchise back to where it started.
