John Madden was known to successive generations as the winning coach in Super Bowl XI, as the man who revolutionized the role of analyst in sports broadcasting (receiving 16 Emmy awards in the process), and as the face of the most popular sports video game ever produced.
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| JOHN MADDEN ARRIVES AT WALTER PAYTON'S FUNERAL. |
Madden never played, coached, or lived in Chicago, but he did have a Chicago connection that’s worthy of mention. From the early 1980s until he passed away this week, Madden was unequivocal that Bears immortal Walter Payton ranked as his favorite player of all time.
Madden spoke at Payton’s funeral in 1999. “Too many people judge a running back only by how many rushing yards he has,” Madden said that day. “You seldom hear how many passes a running back caught for how many yards. And you hardly ever hear how good a blocker he is, either as a pass blocker, picking up a blitzing linebacker, or as a run blocker for the other running back—but that’s how coaches evaluate a running back. And that’s why Walter Payton is the best running back I’ve ever seen.”
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