John Madden, the beefy former adamant Oakland Raiders coach and one of football’s most renowned and recognized broadcasters for over thirty years, has officially concluded his career.

“It’s time,” Madden said. “I’m 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and their five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not. It’s been such a great ride… the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion, it still is.  I appreciate all of the people who are and were such an important part of the most enjoyable, most fun anyone could have… that great life with the teams, the players, the coaches, the owners, the League… my broadcasting partners Pat and Al… the production people and the fans …is still great… it’s still fun and that’s what it makes it hard and that’s why it took me a few months to make a decision.  I still love every part of it, the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people… but I know this is the right time."

Madden played college football for California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and was a starter on both the offensive and defensive lines for two years in 1957 and 1958. Because of his play, he was voted to the All-Conference team. He also played for the schools baseball team as a catcher. Madden earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959 and a Master of Arts degree in 1961, both degrees from Cal Poly.

Madden was selected in the 21^st round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles,  however, he sustained a knee injury his first year and his NFL career was over before it ever really got off the ground.  

Madden, with his love for football then decided to go into coaching. Madden coached at Hancock Junior College in Santa Maria, California, from 1960-64.

He was then hired as defensive coordinator at San Diego State, a position he held from 1964-66.  While he was there, the Aztecs had a record of 26-4 and were ranked #1 in the country among small colleges.  

Madden began his pro coaching career as with the Oakland Raiders in 1967 as the linebacker coach. He became the head coach two years later at the age of 33 and was the youngest head coach in the American Football League (AFL). Madden coached the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XI with a 32-14 drubbing of the Minnesota Vikings.

Madden was a very boisterous and flamboyant head coach known for his raving sideline antics. In 1979, after advice from his doctor that because of his antics, his health was at stake, he retired from coaching. He joined CBS broadcasting career later that year.

Madden became instantly popular with football fans as well because of his flamboyant broadcasting style. His blue-collar adjectives such as “Bam”, “Whack”, and “Bonk” when describing a big hit became his trademark. Fans also admired his obvious love for the game and his “in-the-trenches” demeanor.    

Madden worked at CBS until 1994 when the network lost their rights to broadcasting the NFL games to FOX. Because of his popularity, he was not out of work very long, switching to FOX almost immediately. From 1994-2002, he was the lead NFL broadcaster for FOX.

In 2002, Madden left FOX to become the lead analyst for ABC’s “Monday Night Football” (MNF) and enjoyed four years in that spot. In 2006, when ESPN announced that they would be taking over the MNF broadcasts, he joined NBC when they introduced NBC Sunday Night Football.

Madden is the only broadcaster in football to work as the lead analyst for all four NFL broadcast networks. His last telecast was Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a great last game to announce as it went down to the wire with the Steelers winning 27-23 with 35 seconds to go in the game. Madden earned rave reviews and critical acclaim for his broadcasting of the game.

His EA Sports “Madden NFL Football” video game is the top-selling sports video game of all time and has sold more than 65 million copies since its first release in 1988. 

Madden hates to fly because once you are in the plane, you are stuck in it until it lands.

"It wasn't about flying, bad turbulence or anything”, Madden said. “The flight attendant closed the door and before we'd even moved I knew I had to get off the plane, but I gutted it out. You think you're going to die. I was sweating, shaking, the whole thing. It was about being encased and not being able to get out."

At first, he tried Amtrak, but they did not always go where he wanted them to, so he decided to travel to all of the games he broadcasted in a specially designed tour bus known as the “Madden Cruiser”. It has all the amenities of both the home and office. The Cruiser is a rolling command post and comes equipped with three flat-screen TVs, high-speed Internet access, a navigation system, cell phones and a fax all in satellite contact with the outside world. It also has a steam shower, bedroom, kitchen, and a generator powerful enough to run a 5,000-square foot house. Now that is what I call a road trip!  

According to longtime broadcast partner Al Michaels, Madden will have a unique place in pro football history.

“No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John,” Michaels said. “There’s never been anyone like him and he’s been the gold standard for analysts for almost three decades.”

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Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, and has who has won an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for the Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality.

Throughout his broadcasting career, Madden has been nominated for 18 Emmy Awards. In addition, Madden was named the Sports Personality of the Year in 1985 and 1992 by the American Sportscasters Association. In 1982, Madden became the inaugural NFL broadcaster to receive the distinguished Golden Mike Award by the Touchdown Club of America.  Madden has been called “an American fixture” by Sports Illustrated, who also said that he “brings an unequaled big-game buzz to the broadcast booth.”

Madden has written several books which have been on the New York Times best-selling list. Titles include; “Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a Book!);” “One Knee Equals Two Feet (and Everything Else You Need To Know About Football;” “One Size Doesn't Fit All;” and “All Madden,” each written with sports columnist Dave Anderson from the New York Times. He has also authored a cookbook specifically for sports fans titled “John Madden’s Ultimate Tailgating”.

With the announcement of Maddens retirement, Cris Collinsworth will replace him in the booth on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol said.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who loves the NFL, or cares about the NFL, more than John Madden,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “As a friend, I know that John’s respect and passion for the sport will be the two elements of his legacy that matter the most to him. His imprint and impact on our game were powerful and meaningful. His influence on the sport was felt by everyone, the guys in the equipment room, the players, the coaches, the owners, and most importantly, the fans.

“He’s going out on top—as the best we have—and the best we have ever had.”

Photo Credit: Christophe Dupont Elise / Icon SMI