Boom! EA Sports Honors John Madden With Three Covers For 'Madden NFL 23'
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 09:21PM By Barry Janoff
June 1, 2022: John Madden appeared on the cover of EA Sports John Madden Football from 1988-1992 and the renamed Madden NFL Football from 1993-1999 — sometimes with players in the background — but not since then as EA had NFL players take over the prime territory.
Now, Madden is getting three solo covers for Madden NFL, a franchise he helped grow from fledgling to phenom.
EA Sports said that Madden, who passed away in December, would appear on a trio of distinct Madden NFL 23 covers to “pay tribute to different chapters in Madden's life.”
One cover honors John Madden's contributions to the NFL as a coach, showing him being carried off the field on the shoulders of his players following the then Oakland Raiders victory in Super Bowl XI in 1976.
A second cover pays homage to his time as a NFL color commentator, which he did for CBS Sports, Fox Sports, ABC Sports and NBC Sports from 1979-2009.
The third Madden NFL 23 cover — a digital-only All-Madden Edition — pays tribute to his “contributions to his NFL video game franchise."
The art, created by Philadelphia artist Chuck Styles, recreates the original 1988 John Madden Football box art.
Madden NFL 23 is scheduled to be released Aug. 19.
A preview trailer is scheduled to launch June 2.
The cover release on June 1 — christened “Madden Day” by EA Sports — commemorated the original 1988 release date of John Madden Football.
“What better day to celebrate Coach Madden and his legendary career in sport and entertainment than the day he changed the gaming industry forever,” EA Sports said via the company.
Madden is being honored and remembered by EA in other significant ways.
An official dedication of “John Madden Field" at EA's headquarters in Redwood City, Calif. was timed for today.
EA also unveiled a commitment of $5 million from the John Madden Legacy Commitment, $2.5 million to Education to support programming for the next five years to College Track, Mission Bit, StreetCode Academy and Girls Who Code.
Another $2.5 million from the Madden legacy commitment will be devoted to the creation of the EA Madden Scholarship in partnership with the United Negro College Fund.
"Coach Madden was a lifelong believer in the importance of education," Cam Weber, EA Sports evp and GM, said via the company. “We’re privileged to support these amazing organizations that are creating opportunities for the next generation to pursue their dreams in his honor."
For the game itself, EA Sports is implementing a First Interactive Experience, “featuring two versions of Coach Madden leading opposing teams of All-Madden athletes in the 1970s Oakland Coliseum.”
It will feature the voice of John Madden on commentary through remastered audio clips that call back to his time as a broadcaster.
EA Sports said additional activation to honor John Madden would be unveiled as the release date approaches.
John Madden: Football Is My Life — It’s Difficult To Explain
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