NFL players have a lot of respect for John Madden, who died on Tuesday at the age of 85. For the Madden NFL video game series, various NFL athletes graced the cover, including Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Brett Favre, Ray Lewis and Michael Vick. Some of the athletes went to social media to pay tribute to the late coach and broadcaster.
“Before I went into broadcasting with FOX Sports, Coach Andy Reid asked me to speak with John Madden,” Vick said. “Mr. Madden’s advice to me was to just be myself. His words gave me the confidence to pursue this new career path. I thank Andy for suggesting and Mr. Madden for accepting my call.”
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Madden was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969-1978 and led the team to a Super Bowl win. He then moved on to broadcasting and won 16 Emmys. And while he was in the thick of his broadcasting career, Madden became the face of the Madden NFL video game series by EA Sports. He was on the cover of the game from the first year until 2001, and that’s when Eddie George took over. Here’s a look at the cover athletes paying tribute to Madden.
Eddie George
Eddie George was on the cover of Madden NFL 2001. He played for the Tennesee Titans and Dallas Cowboys and was named to the Pro Bowl four times in his career as a running back.
Michael Vick
Michael Vick was on the cover of Madden NFL 2004. At the time, Vick was one of the most electrifying players in NFL history, coming off a season where he threw for 2,936 yards and rushed for 777 yards as a quarterback.
Richard Sherman
Madden NFL 15 was all about Richard Sherman who was the top cornerback at the time. Sherman is a five-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection and the league in interceptions in 2013, the same year his Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders won on the cover of Madden NFL 25 (released in 2013) which was to honor the game’s 25th anniversary. Sanders is one of the best running backs of all time, rushing for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns in 10 seasons.
Brett Favre
Brett Favre made the cover after he left the Green Bay Packers (Madden NFL 08). In his career, Favre won the NFL MVP award three times and led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 1996.
Vince Young
Vince Young didn’t have a strong NFL career but was good enough to grace the cover of Madden NFL 08. At the time, he was coming off a season where he threw for 2,199 yards and rushed for 552 yards as a quarterback.
Calvin Johnson Jr.
Calvin Johnson Jr. made the cover of Madden NFL 13 after he had a 2011 season where he caught 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns as a wide receiver. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this season.
