Legendary: John Madden Will Always Hold a Special Place in New England Patriots History

The iconic former coach, broadcast analyst and video game inspiration passed away on December 28 at the age of 85.

In the 1993 film, The Sandlot, youngster Benny Rodriguez is offered some inspiration by baseball legend George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth by way of a dream. Ruth imparts the following to Rodriguez:

“Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes are remembered, but legends never die.”

On Tuesday, the National Football league lost both a hero and a legend with the passing of John Madden at the age of 85.

It is not a stretch to say that Madden was omnipresent within the sport of football. His coaching strategies from his days on the sidelines with the Oakland Raiders continue to be emulated to the present day. The effortless manner in which he explained the nuances of the game have been often imitated, but never duplicated in the broadcast booth. Lastly, he became the image and inspiration for millions of football fans to live their dreams of becoming both coach and general manager for an NFL franchise in the immensely popular Madden NFL video game series.

As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell aptly stated: “There will never be another John Madden.”

He spent ten seasons as head coach of the Oakland Raiders (1969–1978), leading the team to a championship victory in Super Bowl XI (1977). In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in recognition of his coaching career.

Following his retirement from the sidelines, Madden served as a color commentator for NFL telecasts from 1979 through 2008. His iconic delivery and catch phrases such as “Boom” made him an instant fan-favorite. He worked as a color analyst for all four major networks: CBS (1979–1993), Fox (1994–2001), ABC (2002–2005), and NBC (2006–2008); working alongside such industry icons as Pat Summerall and Al Michaels.

While Madden will be missed throughout the vast footprint of the NFL universe, the entities with which he was most closely associated will feel the void of his loss a bit deeper. His impact on the game of football will always transcend the boundaries of the NFL, as well as the media.

Madden also holds a special place in the lore of the New England Patriots’ franchise. While Madden may not have coached in Foxboro, he was a key figure in one of the franchises proudest moments. On February 3, 2002, Madden and Summerall called their final game as the game’s most beloved broadcast team, Super Bowl XXXVI between the Patriots and the St. Louis Rams from New Orleans, Louisiana. With the game tied at 17, and time expiring, Madden famously offered his opinion to millions of Super Bowl viewers that the Pats would be best served by playing for overtime. After all, New England was out of timeouts and relying on an untested, young quarterback on the grandest stage in the game. Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady led his team down the field to set up kicker Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 48-yard field goal, to give New England its first Super Bowl title under head coach Bill Belichick. 

Madden, ever the professional, later stated that he stood corrected, “That’s how you should win a Super Bowl,” he said. “I mean, they came in here against all odds. They were backed up, they had no timeouts. They drove the ball down into field-goal position. That was a great, great drive.”

“I’ll tell ya…what Tom Brady just did gives me goosebumps,” Madden exclaimed.

Still Madden’s most indelible impact on the Patriots’ franchise may have occurred in August 1978, during his days as the Raiders’ head coach. During a preseason matchup between the Patriots and Raiders, New England wide receiver Darryl Stingley was tragically injured by a brutal hit from Oakland defender Jack Tatum. Stingley was immediately hospitalized and remained in critical care for quite some time. Madden, who was the Raiders’ head coach at the time, spent as much time as possible with Stingley as he struggled through his injury. As a result, the two became close friends, with Stingley often referring to Madden as a ‘hero’ to him.

In 1983, Sarah Pileggi penned a profile of Madden for Sports Illustrated, highlighting his growing legacy as both a coach and broadcast analyst. In this piece, Pileggi details the emotional influence each had on the other.

[Madden loved coaching. He once said, "I coached for 20 years and I never felt it was work." So why did he quit? It wasn't only the ulcer. "Everybody has those," he says. It wasn't the boys. They, as it turned out, were thriving. But something else happened in 1978, Madden's last year. On August 12, during a preseason game against [the] New England [Patriots], Darryl Stingley, a Patriots' receiver, took a legal but crippling blow from Raider Defensive Back Jack Tatum that put Stingley, paralyzed, into a California hospital for two months and into a wheelchair for life. During the first weeks after Stingley suffered his injury, the Raiders were at their training camp in Santa Rosa, an hour and a half north of Oakland, and Stingley was in Eden Hospital in Castro Valley, south of the city. Still, Madden and his wife were daily visitors to Stingley's bedside. They offered their home and the use of a car to Stingley's family. They brought clothes to the hospital for Stingley's girlfriend, who had not had time to pack before flying West. On the opening day of the season in September, when the Raiders lost to the Broncos in Denver, Madden returned to Oakland at night on the team plane and went straight to the hospital to see Stingley. Hank Bullough, then the Patriots' assistant head coach, said at the time, "All of us feel we'll never be able to repay John for what he has done for Darryl." Stingley himself thinks that what happened to him may have been the cause of Madden's retirement, and in his autobiography, which will be published this fall, he writes, "I love that man." Madden says only, "I just got to a point where I couldn't see myself going through another training camp, another draft. That was when I quit."]

As both a hero and a legend, John Madden will be remembered and immortalized. He was a beloved family man, a valued friend and a charismatic personality. The footprint he leaves on the game of football will forever be preserved by each team, player, coach, broadcaster and fan of the sport Madden loved most, including the New England Patriots. Upon hearing the news of his passing, team owner Rober Kraft issued the following statement, honoring Madden’s memory:

Still, Madden’s life may best be celebrated through his own words. When asked about his legacy, he once told The Los Angeles Times:

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I look at it and I have to pinch myself sometimes, because I’ve never had to work. I went from a player to a coach to a broadcaster. I’ve been in the NFL forever. That’s my life. That’s what I do. I’m just lucky.”

Without a doubt, the NFL landscape was just as lucky to have John Earl Madden.

Rest well, Coach.