Fox Sports Details Life And Times Of John Madden In 'All Madden' Documentary
Friday, December 3, 2021 at 03:07PM By Barry Janoff
December 3, 2021: John Madden was drafted out of Cal Poly by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958 in the 21st round as the 244th overall pick. He never made it past the practice squad due to a knee injury.
That is not why he is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2006.
Madden was head coach for the then Oakland Raiders from 1969-78, winning Super Bowl XI (during the 1976 season), finishing with a 112-39 combined regular and post-season record.
He aligned his name and expertise with the EA Sports Madden NFL video game and became a nationally renowned NFL commentator and analyst on CBS (1979-93), Fox (1994-2001), ABC Monday Night Football (2002-05) and NBC (2006-08).
He also became a spokesperson for national brands such as Miller Lite, Ace Hardware, Outback Steakhouse, Verizon, Toyota and Tinactin.
On Dec. 25, Fox Sports will bring his various careers together in its original documentary, All Madden (2 PM ET).
The program leads into Fox’s game from Lambeau Field with the Green Bay Packers hosting the Cleveland Browns.
The documentary includes the first extensive on-camera interview with Madden in more than a decade, according to Fox Sports.
With Madden, 85, himself watching, All Madden focuses on the 30 years after his Hall of Fame coaching career, exploring his “extraordinary impact on America’s most popular sport, the indelible mark he made on broadcast television and how he revolutionized the video game industry,” according to Fox Sports.
“You can’t write the history of professional football without John Madden,” former player Howie Long says in a promo spot for All Madden.
“I was a good player — John Madden made me even better,” says Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
The title itself comes from 1984, when Madden — taking the advice of NFL coach and friend John Robinson — created the "All-Madden" team, a “group of players who Madden thought represented football and played the game the way he thought it should be played.”
“John Madden personifies the essence of what we at Fox Sports are all about — undying love for football, innovation and fun,” Eric Shanks, Fox Sports CEO and executive producer, said via the network.
“Holiday broadcasts and Madden go hand-in-hand, so we’re thrilled to debut All Madden on Christmas. It’s going to be a special day.”
All Madden features interviews including Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Lawrence Taylor, Lamar Jackson, Bill Parcells, and Roger Goodell.
There also are segments with Madden’s wife, Virginia, and their sons, Joe and Mike.
“John Madden is an American original, from the sideline to the broadcast booth and far beyond, with a career that reaches into the heart of our country’s popular culture,” Tom Rinaldi, All Madden co-director and executive producer, said via Fox Sports.
“We’re honored to celebrate his enduring legacy with this documentary tribute.”
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