"Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to see, and listen for what they don't want to hear." ~ John Madden
Former football coach and current TV pitchman and sportscaster, John Madden (1935-) was born in Austin, Minnesota.
"No kid ever had a better time growing up than I did," Madden recalled. "My dad was an auto mechanic... but he hated his job. That's probably why he never pushed me to get a job when I was a teenager."
With a B.A. in Education, Madden signed as a guard with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1959, but injured his leg in training camp and never played in the NFL. Instead, he turned to coaching.
In 1967, he coached linebackers with the Oakland Raiders, then took over as head coach, winning 70 games in seven years and snagging the Super Bowl victory in 1977.
"Discipline in football occurs on the field, not off it. Discipline is knowing what you're supposed to do and doing it as best you can," said Madden who compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record in 10 seasons with the Raiders. His overall percentage of .731, which includes playoff games, is second only to Vince Lombardi.
"The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion," Madden said. "No one remembers anything else."
By 2005, this champion had earned an unprecedented 14 Emmy Awards as an NFL television analyst. Known for his sense of humor, insightful observations, and play-by-play analysis with Pat Summerall on FOX, Madden signed with ABC in March 2002 to partner with broadcaster Al Michaels on Monday Night Football.
"John is the gold standard among football analysts and has been for a long time," praised Michaels.
Do what the job demands.