Did John Madden Play in the NFL?
No, John Madden did not play in the NFL. He was a college football player and then a successful NFL coach.
Early Life and Education
John Earl Madden was born in Austin, Minnesota, on April 10, 1936, to Earl Russell Madden and Mary Margaret (née Guilfoyle). He had five siblings. When Madden was young, his family moved to California. He played football at Jefferson High School, Los Angeles.While at Jefferson, Madden befriended future Major League Baseball star Billy Martin. Throughout high school, they shared the backfield and competed against each other in track.
John Madden’s NFL Career
John Madden is a former professional American football player and coach. He played college football at Cal Poly, and then went on to play in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. After his NFL career, he became a successful coach, winning Super Bowl XI with the Oakland Raiders in 1977. He has also been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Post-NFL Career
After retiring from coaching, Madden became a successful sports broadcaster. He worked as a color commentator for NFL telecasts on CBS (1979–93), ABC (1985–2002), and Fox (2002–05). In 2006, he was hired by ESPN to do Monday Night Football color commentary, but he resigned after one season. Madden also worked as a commercial spokesperson; his longtime affiliation was with Ace Hardware.
Later Life and Death
Madden had heart surgery in 1986 to replace a valve. In 1999, he had surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his lung. By then he had stopped smoking. He also developed arthritis later in life. He underwent hip replacement surgery in 2009.
Madden died at his home in Pleasanton, California on April 16, 2013, aged 80. His widow, Virginia (née Henry), with whom he had nine children, said the cause was heart failure brought on by chronic cardiovascular disease.
