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NFL Hall of Famer, the late John Madden, played the tackle position during his football career, and he maintained that position for the entirety of his time on the gridiron. That dispels the myth that the Hall of Famer never played football during his younger years.
Madden was among the best players on his college football team, California Polytechnic, where he wreaked havoc from the tackle position against opposing teams. He was good enough to be selected in the 21st round of the 1958 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
So, did Madden have a successful NFL career like Joe Namath, Arch Manning and his peers? What made John Madden so famous and loved in the first place? Keep reading to find out.
Did John Madden have a successful NFL playing career?
No, John Madden did not have a successful NFL career, and the Hall of Famer never even played a single snap of football in the National Football League.
Madden was selected with the 244th overall pick of the 1958 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Madden didn't play a single regular-season game. He suffered a knee injury during mandatory rookie training camp, and his time in the league essentially ended when that happened.
In those days, due to the lack of sophisticated sports science and rehabilitation regimes, a serious knee injury likely spelled the end of a sportsperson's career. Unfortunately, Madden fell under that category and never got to live the dream and play in the National Football League with his peers.
It wasn't all gloomy, though, as Madden spent time watching films with Norm Van Brocklin during his injury-plagued rookie season. Van Brocklin, the record holder for passing yards in an NFL game, taught Madden much of what he knew.
According to the latter's account, Van Brocklin gave him 'the greatest education' he ever had. That gave John Madden an idea and subsequently birthed his coaching career.
What was John Madden most famous for?
John Madden was famous among different generations of football lovers. For football fans of the 60s and 70s, Madden was most famous for being the Super Bowl XI-winning coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
He was the coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, leading them to eight postseason appearances, seven division titles, seven championship games and their first Super Bowl title (Super Bowl XI).
Madden was a top-notch coach, winning the 1969 PFW AFL Coach of the Year Award for his efforts. Regarding NFL coaching records, Madden holds the top winning percentage among coaches who has managed at least 100 games.
For NFL fans in the late 1970s up until the early 2000s, Madden was recognized as one of the most knowledgeable color commentators. He worked for NFL telecasts from 1979 to 2008 and racked up 16 Sports Emmy Awards for his efforts. He appeared for all the big shots in the NFL broadcasts: CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC.
For younger NFL fans, Madden is the name of the famous Madden NFL video game series. The Madden NFL video game is the best-selling pro football video game of all time.
