John Madden

1936-

American football coach

Although John Madden became known as a great analyst and broadcaster for NFL (National Football League) games on the CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), Fox, and ABC (American Broadcasting Companies), he began his career as a coach for the AFL (American Football League; later NFL) Oakland Raiders. Madden was a well-respected coach of the Raiders for ten years, winning the Super Bowl in 1977. He was the youngest NFL coach to win a Super Bowl. Madden capitalized on his celebrity by appearing in a number of commercials over the years. He was also known for his famous bus that he traveled in when he refused to fly in 1979.

Madden was born on April 10, 1936, in Austin, Minnesota, the son of Earl and Mary (O'Flaherty) Madden. Madden's father was an auto mechanic who wanted a better life for his family. To that end, he moved them to Daly City, California, in 1942 to get a better job.

Growing up in Daly City, Madden's father encouraged his son's interest in sports. Madden played football, as well as basketball and baseball at Jefferson High School. However, much of his equipment was from castoffs. One job that Madden had in high school was as a golf caddy at the San Francisco Golf Club. It was there that he got the idea that successful people often went to college, and decided that he would be the first person in his family to attend.

Played College Football

Because of his prowess on the football field, Madden was given a football scholarship to the University of Oregon. He studied pre-law for a year, but was kept out of varsity competition because of a knee operation. After a year, he realized he did not like his pre-law studies and left the school and his scholarship behind.

Changing his educational path, Madden decided to pursue an education degree. To that end, he enrolled one semester at the College of San Mateo, then briefly attended Grays Harbor College. He resumed his football career when he transferred to California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, California. There he was a two-year starter as both an offensive and defensive tackle in football, as well as a catcher on the baseball team.

Drafted by the Eagles

In 1958, Madden was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 21st round. His one season as a professional player ended when he suffered a knee injury at training camp in 1959.

Began Coaching Career

Though Madden's professional playing career was over, he did not leave football. He returned to California Polytechnic to earn a master's degree in education. It was at California Polytechnic that Madden met his future wife, Virginia Fields, who was studying for her master's degree and teaching school. They later married and had two sons, Mike and Joe. Madden was also employed as a physical education teacher in Santa Maria, California, and had begun a coaching career on the college level, becoming assistant coach at Allan Hancock Junior College.

In 1962, Madden was promoted to head coach at Hancock, spending two years there. His team posted a record of 12-6 during his tenure as head coach. In 1964, Madden moved on to San Diego State University, working as a defensive coordinator. He spent two years there, and the team had a record of 26-4.

Became Professional Coach

Madden was offered a job with AFL's Oakland Raiders in 1967 as a linebacker coach. His first year with the team was effective. The Raiders made it to Super Bowl II, but lost to the Green Bay Packers. In 1969, Madden was promoted to head coach of the Raiders. The previous coach, John Rauch, had left the team because he believed the team's owner, Al Davis was interfering with the way he ran the team. When Madden took over as head coach, he was only 33 years old and the youngest coach in AFL history.

Madden was a successful head coach, spending ten years with the Raiders. The team won the Western Division title seven times, reached the playoffs eight times, and won at least ten games a season for seven seasons. In his rookie season as a coach, he posted a record of 12-1-1, and was named coach of the year. However, the Raiders lost in the AFL championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-7.

Chronology

Awards and Accomplishments

As a head coach, Madden had a flamboyant personality. He argued with officials over calls and was something of a spectacle on the sidelines during the games. But he also believed that communication was important, making it a point to talk to each of his players every day. It was Madden who kept the team together in the face of Davis and other pressures. Bill Toomay, a former player in Oakland told Ken Denlinger of Washington Post upon Madden's retirement, "He (Madden) is not a pretentious man. He has great insight into people, he's able to be successful with a broad spectrum of individuals. If the head coach wasn't able to do that, this team would have fallen apart years ago. … Madden was the cement that held it together."

Among Madden's best seasons as a coach was 1976-1977, when the Raiders posted a record of 13-1, won the AFC (American Football Conference) championship by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, and played in Super Bowl XI. Oakland won the Super Bowl, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 32-14. Madden was the youngest NFL coach to win a Super Bowl. He would later say that this was the highlight of his life in football. Madden told Walter Roessing of Saturday Evening Post, "The great thing about winning the Super Bowl was that it meant I had won every game in football there was to win—preseason, Pro Bowl, play-off, Super Bowl."

Retired as Coach

In 1979, after the 1978-179 season ended, Madden abruptly retired as coach of the Raiders. He was emotionally stressed and burned out. Madden had a bleeding ulcer and a strained relationship with his sons which he wanted to repair. Over the course of his coaching career with the Raiders, he posted a record of 103-32-7, with a.750 winning percentage. This marked the first time a head coach had spent ten years with the same team and had won more than 100 games. When he retired, Madden said he would never coach again.

Hired as Television Commentator

Madden spent some time at home, rather bored. He could not tolerate watching games in the stands. His agent soon convinced him to try television commentary on NFL games for CBS. Madden agreed to give it a try, though it was a big adjustment for someone who had spent two decades on the sidelines. Madden began as a fill-in, but his colorful personality worked well for television. He was very observant in his expert analysis, revealing his intelligence and humor. He also did his homework. To prepare for television, he asked others in the business for advice.

Despite his initial reluctance, Madden told Roessing, "When I did my first game, I immediately realized this was what I wanted to do. You see, I can't live without football. It's been part of my life since I was a little kid. I want to be involved in football and announcing the rest of my life."

Madden soon became better known for his commentary than for his outstanding coaching career. By the early 1980s, he was CBS's chief NFL analyst and teamed with Pat Summerall, with whom he would work until 2002. Madden and Summerall covered the big games of the week and the Super Bowl. Madden contributed

a new approach to the way analysts approached game coverage. When he began in the late 1970s, little research was done. By the early 1980s, he used some techniques similar to coaches to break down the game or games he and Summerall would be analyzing for the week. Preparation was important to him and he took pride in doing it well.

Madden was successful because he could communicate his ideas about football in way his audience could understand. As Sarah Pileggi wrote in Sports Illustrated, "Talking is what Madden does best. He is a born communicator. His talent for putting thoughts into words that engage the attention of a particular audience and his special knack for infusing these words with his own personality have been the keys to his success not only as a broadcaster but also as a coach." This technique and Madden's approach came to define a new era of sports broadcasting.

Madden's work as analyst had several unexpected bonuses. He had an offer to have a recurring role on the television situation comedy Cheers but did not take it because it would have interfered with his football commitments. A popular video game was developed that bore his name, and he was a popular motivational speaker. His most visible bonus was in commercials. He took on many of the amazing number of commercial endorsement offers he received, representing Ace Hardware and Miller Lite beer for a number of years, as well as Tinactin, and many other products and services. Because of the sheer number of spots he appeared in, Madden eventually built a $1 million studio near his home so he would not have to travel to tape the commercials.

Travel was a big issue in Madden's life. He did not like to fly, and had been diagnosed as claustrophobic. His problems with claustrophobia began in 1960 when football players from his alma mater were killed in a plane crash that Madden should have been on. He suffered through flights while a coach, but refused to fly after November 1979. Early in his broadcasting career, Madden traveled to his CBS assignments by train, a mode of travel he enjoyed because it allowed him to interact with people. He later had an endorsement deal with Greyhound that gave him his own bus. After the deal ended, he kept the bus but attracted other sponsors to cover expenses. Though the bus was less people friendly, he got to see some of America on his travels and find his own favorite spots. Madden's bus became a signature part of his identity as a broadcaster.

Signed with Fox

In 1994, Madden (and Summerall) signed with Fox after the network bought the rights to football in 1993. He had considered going to ABC for Monday Night Football or NBC (National Broadcasting Company) which also had some football rights. (CBS lost their rights, though they regained some of them in a later deal.) Madden's deal was worth $8,000,000 a year over four years, a testament to his power and popularity as a broadcaster. With his new contract, Madden built his own customized bus, dubbed the Madden Cruiser. In 1998, when the contract expired, Madden signed a five-year deal with Fox, though he again thought about moving to ABC. Madden also continued to make millions per year for endorsements, remaining at the top of his game.

In 2002, after the Super Bowl, Madden and Summerall decided to call it quits as a duo. Summerall had decided to retire from full-time work at Fox (though he did still do regional football broadcasts for the network). After considering his options, Madden finally decided to sign with ABC to do Monday Night Football broadcasts with Al Michaels. Madden was expected to raise the ratings of the show, which had been on the decline for several years.

Madden was well respected as a broadcaster, winning 13 of the 15 Emmy Awards he was nominated for over the course of his career, as well as a number of other awards. He planned to continue working as a broadcaster as long he was physically capable of doing it. He told Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated, "It's fun, and it is my life and my passion and my recreation—it's everything. I was at a golf tournament, and I met a guy who was a year behind me in high school, and he's retiring. I said, 'Let me get this straight: You're retiring, and I just signed a four-year contract. One of us is going in the wrong direction."

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: c/o 1 West 72nd St., New York, NY 10023. Online: allmadden.com.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY MADDEN:

(With Dave Anderson) Hey, Wait a Minute, I Wrote a Book, New York: Villard Books, 1984.

(With Dave Anderson) One Size Doesn't Fit All. New York: Random House, 1985.

(With Dave Anderson) One Knee Equals Two Feet: (And Everything Else You Need to Know About Football). New York: Villard, 1986.

(With Dave Anderson) First Book of Football. New York: Crown Publishers, 1988.

(With Peter Kaminsky) John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating. New York: Viking, 1988.

Related Biography: Sports Announcer Pat Summerall

John Madden's play-by-play partner in the broadcast booth for over 20 years was Pat Summerall. The pair split after the 2002 Super Bowl (the eighth they called together), with Madden signing with ABC (American Broadcasting Companies) for Monday Night Football while Summerall remained with Fox handling regional broadcasts. Like Madden, Summerall had a playing career in professional football; he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1952 after an outstanding playing career at the University of Arkansas. Summerall, a place kicker and tight end, played with the Chicago Cardinals from 1952 through 1957, then the New York Giants from 195 until 1961. Summerall scored 567 points over the course of his career and played in the three NFL Championship games. After his playing career ended, Summerall worked in radio as the sports director and morning news host for WCBS Radio in New York City, and did work for the CBS Radio Network. In 1971, Summerall made the move to television, again with CBS, and was teamed with Madden in 1981. Summerall covered not only football, but also was the network's lead voice for golf coverage from 1968 to 1994, and covered tennis as well. Over the course of his career, Summerall garnered numerous broadcasting awards.

(With Dave Anderson) All Madden: Hey I'm Talking Football, New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Athletes and Coaches of Winter. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000.

Hickok, Ralph. A Who's Who of Sports Champions: Their Stories and Records. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995.

Porter, David L., editor. Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: Football. New York: Greenwood Press, 1995.

Periodicals

Bonko, Larry. "Monday Night Football's New Strategy John Madden Partners with Al Michaels in the ABC Booth." Virginia Pilot (September 9, 2002): E1.

Brady, Dave. "Madden: Forever, for Now." Washington Post (January 7, 1979): D6.

Callahan, Gerry. "Hey, They Love This Guy!" Sports Illustrated (January 19, 1998): 20.

Callahan, Tom. "I'm Just a Guy." Time (January 11, 1988): 82.

Denlinger, Ken. "'Inner Turmoil' Part of Madden." Washington Post (January 5, 1979): C1.

Isaacs, Stan. "Madden a Success as Color Man By Taking Advice: 'Be Yourself'." Washington Post (December 9, 1980): D5.

King, Peter. "Busman's Holiday." Sports Illustrated (November 26, 1990): 80.

Leerhsen, Charles. "John Madden on a Roll." Newsweek (January 9, 1984): 66.

"Madden Signs Five-Year Deal to Stay at Fox." Rocky Mountain News (January 16, 1998): 5C.

Pileggi, Sarah. "Hey, Wait a Minute! I Want to Talk." Sports Illustrated (September 1, 1983): 39.

Reilly, Rick. "Split Personalities." Sports Illustrated (September 30, 2002): 102.

Roessing, Walter. "Talking Is Their Game." Saturday Evening Post (April 1987): 64.

Rushin, Steve. "America's Sweetheart: Whether Cruising or Schmoozing, John Madden Is the U.S.A.'s Ambassador to Itself." Sports Illustrated (January 28, 2002): 17.

Sandomir, Richard. "Madden at the Top of His Game." New York Times (August 20, 1991): B17.

Silver, Michael. "Monday Evening Quarterback." Sports Illustrated (July 29, 2002): 34.

Souhan, Jim. "In Austin, Madden May Be Bigger than Spam; Birthplace Warmly Greets Broadcaster." Star Tribune (January 17, 1999): 3S.

Other

"John Madden—Analyst." Monday Night Football. http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/columns/madden_john/bio.html (January 13, 2003).

"Pat Summerall Steps Down as John Madden's Partner." Fox Sports. http://foxsports.lycos.com/content/view?contentID=300866 (January 20, 2003).

Sketch by A. Petruso