All the players wore special Madden patches on their jerseys as they stepped on the field for the Thanksgiving game. The festivities turned even more special for the league as they celebrated the fourth annual NFL celebration honoring the late legend John Madden and his contributions to the league. And for this occasion, Madden’s longtime friend and former mentee, Andy Reid, also took a moment to pay tribute to the legend.

He narrated a special feature of “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration,” which is aired by NBC. While Madden is no longer with us, his son expressed gratitude for Reid’s heartfelt gesture.

“Andy was probably, one of his closest friends and confidants in the football world. They enjoyed each other’s company,” Mike Madden shared. “It came from when he was with the Eagles. Andy was driving home one night and didn’t like, who do I, you know, it’s, it’s one o’clock in the morning. Who do I know on the West Coast? And he picked up the phone, he called dad, and they spoke, talked ball for an hour,” he recalled.

Mike further added, “So for Andy, with all the success he’s had and as busy as he is for him, to take time out, to narrate the piece. I saw it yesterday and I texted him right away. I said, he gave me goosebumps. It’s, it’s so great to, to just to have Andy participate and to have a piece done on dad’s coaching career. It was, it’s fantastic. And I hope everybody tunes in and sees it.”

Mike shared how Coach Reid once called Madden before an important game and went on to win it. And he continued the tradition and often called the former coach, as he felt it was lucky. This goes all the way to the time when Reid coached the Philadelphia Eagles.

This was the bond that the two shared. Madden and Reid formed a connection when the former coach took Reid under his wing early in his career. He taught Reid to appreciate every play, trust his instincts, and never underestimate the value of a coach’s voice in the league. Coach Reid, being one of the elite coaches in the league, speaks volumes about Madden’s impact on him.

“I got to work hand-in-hand with a great coach, John Madden, and it was an honor,” Reid said in an interview. “His relentless trust in his own common sense — suggestions to change the game for its betterment probably drove commissioner (Roger) Goodell crazy, but it was awesome to watch his beautiful mind formulate each want. He taught me to never lose my childish love for life.”

Coach Reid often credits Madden for his role in his career. The Kansas City Chiefs coach was also one of the speakers at the legend’s memorial service, which was held at the Oakland Coliseum. So, even amid a rough time with the Chiefs, coach Reid stepped up to pay homage to the former coach.

Madden was a true legend. Apart from his 10-year coaching stint with the Oakland Raiders to lead them to 6 American Football League Championship Games, he was a great human being deeply admired by his colleagues. Now, did you know that not just football, Madden also popularized a dish in the league?

John Madden once popularized a Thanksgiving dish

Do you know the Louisiana-born creation, turducken? The dish’s connection to football came courtesy of Madden. During a 1996 broadcast of a New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams game, Madden shared that he had famously tried turducken. He went on to introduce it to millions of viewers, calling it “the triducken” before correcting himself.

“Here’s my turducken. It’s turkey — you got the turkey on the outside. Then you stuff the turkey with the duck, then you stuff the duck with the chicken. ‘Tur’ for turkey. ‘Duck’ for duck. And ‘-en’ for chicken. Then you just mix it all up. I’ve been eating it all day,” he said.

He even asked for a six-legged turkey to be given to game MVPs, which a Texas barbecue owner made possible. And that’s how it happened!

Whether these fun moments or the sport, his contributions are unmatched. On every Thanksgiving, the league honors him by awarding a Madden Thanksgiving MVP, with a $10,000 donation going to a youth or high school football program in the winner’s name.

He passed away on December 28, 2021. But the legend will continue to live in the hearts of fans forever.