John Madden Honored With Cover For 2023 Video Game
Jun 1, 2022, 9:48 AM
A view of the video board after a memorial service held for Hall of Fame NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden on February 14, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – EA Sports announced that the late head coach and broadcaster John Madden would grace the cover of the NFL video game, “Madden NFL 23.”
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The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 1. The first day of June is also known as “Madden Day.”
The former Oakland Raiders coach and game analyst passed away in December 2021.
“Today, June 1, is #MaddenDay, a special day that commemorates the very first launch of John Madden Football on June 1, 1988. What better day to celebrate Coach Madden and his legendary career in sport and entertainment than the day he changed the gaming industry forever. Electronic Arts is celebrating in many ways with a new cover, an update on the $5 million John Madden Legacy Commitment to Education, and with the dedication of a renovated field all in Coach Madden’s honor,” EA Sports said in a statement.
Madden, who the game is name after, will be featured on the cover of all three editions of this year’s video game.
The #Madden23 cover… Coach‼️
Full reveal June 2nd: https://t.co/M3Il0XW40c pic.twitter.com/DTI9FqA5bL
— Madden NFL 23 (@EAMaddenNFL) June 1, 2022
Madden last appeared on as the focal point of the main cover on the 2000 edition of the game.
According to ESPN, the late coach also “appeared in a small box in the next four editions of the game with his signature and the All Madden logo off to the side of the main cover athlete before disappearing from the cover for Madden NFL 06.”
“We were thinking about this year’s game and who was going to go on it; it almost became an obvious answer,” Seann Graddy, the executive producer of Madden NFL, told ESPN. “I say that because we really wanted to celebrate Coach in the product this year and what he’s meant to us for the 30-plus years that we’ve been using his name in our game.”
The legendary John Madden returns to the cover #Madden23 pic.twitter.com/unfWPYV6KD
— NFL (@NFL) June 1, 2022
“It helps them become better players. And I think that’s true of high school, college and the pros. There’s a real satisfaction that you see when someone brings it up.”
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The latest edition of the Madden series will be released later this summer. EA Sports’ official trailer for the game will be released on June 2.
About John Madden
After playing college football for Cal Pol, Madden was a 21st round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1958 NFL Draft. He suffered an injury in training camp that ended his playing career.
Madden quickly ended the coaching world and after a few years he entered the NFL as linebackers coach for the Raiders.
In 1969, Madden was promoted to head coach of the Raiders, which he served as until 1978. Madden coach the Raiders to a world championship in Super Bowl XI in 1976.
The NFL says Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster John Madden has died at age 85.https://t.co/NW0ba9UsWk
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 29, 2021
He retired from coaching with a 112-39-7 record, including 9-7 in the postseason.
Over the following three decades, Madden was an NFL broadcast for NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Kyle Ireland is a Locals in the NFL Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on Twitter (@kyleireland) and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
