One of the biggest names in the history of the NFL, John Madden, recently passed away. The former coach and broadcaster was 85-years of age. Madden was one of the biggest reasons why the NFL has attained the level of popularity that it has today.
However, it wasn’t just football that witnessed Madden’s greatness.
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In 1987, he also featured in a commercial with NASCAR drivers Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, Brett Bodine, and Tim Richmond. The commercial was for the Superflo oil from Exxon.
RIP John Madden, a true icon transcending sports. Here is a 1987 commercial he filmed with Geoff Bodine, Brett Bodine, Tim Richmond, and Darrell Waltrip pic.twitter.com/JS1molc69m
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) December 29, 2021
John Madden, a true great in every sense of the word
Madden’s influence was paramount. If you were to ask about his legacy, he exuded greatness, and moreover, this greatness seemed to proliferate as he grow older. To one generation, he was a Hall of Fame coach, while to some others, he was more renowned for his role as a football broadcaster. In his role as the latter, Madden made the sport approachable and lively.
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In his first seven seasons full of near-misses with the Oakland Raiders as a coach, Madden finally tasted Super Bowl success in 1976. He was only 40 when his Raiders team defeated Minnesota Vikings 32-14.
Yet, to the shock of many, he walked away from coaching in 1979, as he cited physical ailments and mental burnout for this decision.
Of course, we cannot talk about Madden and not mention the video game franchise that bears his name.
In fact, if we consider the impact and popularity of the video game for the NFL, one could argue that John Madden was a legend in three different eras, in three different roles, for three different generations. He was someone, who seemed to transcend the test of time, donning many hats, assuming many roles, and exceeding expectations in every single one of them.
After his death, the current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, “There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”
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Goodell added, “Nobody loved football more than Coach.”
“He was football.”
