Did John Madden ever play in the NFL?

Many remember John Madden as the coach, the commentator, and the face of the Madden video game. However, not many remember him as an NFL player.

It is common for players to become coaches after their time in the NFL ends. Since Madden was a coach, does that mean he played in the league as well?

John Madden's brief spell as an NFL player

Las Vegas Raiders honor Hall of Fame NFL coach, broadcaster John Madden

John Madden did, indeed, play football at the professional level. However, his career as a player was short-lived.

According to CBS Sports, he was drafted with the 244th overall pick of the 1958 Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, Madden didn't even get to play in a regular-season game. He reportedly suffered a knee injury during rookie training camp, and his time in the NFL essentially ended when that happened. While undergoing rehabilitation for the injury, Madden spent time watching film with Norm Van Brocklin.

Van Brocklin, the still-reigning record holder for passing yards in a game, taught Madden a lot of what he knew. According to the latter's own account, Van Brocklin gave him "the greatest education" he ever had.

"He called me Red," Madden once recalled. "He said, 'Hey Red, come on up here with me.' I'm the only one there, so he's talking out loud. It was the greatest education I ever had."

Two years later, Madden was breaking into the coaching ranks. He started out as a college coach at the age of 24, according to Pro Football Reference. In another two years, Madden was the head coach of Allan Hancock College. In 1964, Madden became the defensive coordinator for San Diego State.

In 1967, after three years of coaching in San Diego, Madden broke back into the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders. Two years later, in 1969, Madden became the head coach of the Raiders. He went on to go 103-32-7 in the following 10 years, winning a Super Bowl and missing the playoffs only once in that span.

After his time coaching in the NFL came to a close in 1978, Madden moved into the broadcast booth, where he would commentate for 30 years before retiring in 2009. In a move that would make him immortal, Madden's name was adopted to be used in a football video game franchise that is now one of the most profitable of all time.

Madden passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. He was 85 years old.