One man became the most recognizable name in the history of football without ever actually playing in an NFL game.

The most interesting part?

He made hundreds of millions of dollars doing it.

Time for a thread

1) John Madden, born in Minnesota but raised in California, grew up in a blue-collar family.

In high school, Madden was a star football, basketball and baseball player.

When college came, Madden couldn't give it up — attending the college of San Mateo as a two-sport athlete.

2) John Madden entered college with one simple goal — to play professional football.

After transferring 3 times in a 4-year period, Madden was selected by the Eagles as the 244th pick of the 1958 draft.

Unfortunately, Madden hurt his knee in preseason which ended his career.

3) Similar to everything else in his life, John Madden wouldn't let his career ending injury define him.

With a love for football and a degree in education, Madden kicked off his coaching career as an assistant at little-known Allan Hancock College.

4) Through a notorious attention to detail, John Madden immediately started to make a name for himself in coaching.

Within 7 years of starting at the unknown Allan Hancock College, Madden was hired by the legendary Al Davis as linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders.

5) After just two years as an assistant with the Oakland Raiders, John Madden was named Head Coach - the youngest in league history at 32.

Resume
- 103-32-7 record
- Super Bowl XI Champion
- .763 winning percentage (2nd best all-time)

Now this is where it gets interesting…

6) Citing occupational burnout, John Madden retired from coaching in 1978 — accepting an NFL commentator position a year later.

Madden loved commentating, and was good at it, but that's not what he's known for.

His big break?

When EA Sports approached him in 1982 with an idea.

7) After being turned down by Joe Montana, EA Sports approached John Madden in 1982 with the idea of creating a video game.

Skeptical at first, Madden eventually agreed as he saw it as a way to educate fans on the game of football.

The only problem?

Madden is a perfectionist.

8) EA Sports spent years working on a prototype, only to have John Madden shut it down immediately.

Upset it was 7v7 football, and didn't integrate his NFL playbook, Madden made them start over.

Seven years, and many revisions later, "John Madden Football" released in 1988.

9) Since its release in 1988, the "Madden" franchise has sold over 130M copies - generating an estimated $4 billion in revenue.

The best part?

In 2005, John Madden agreed to license his name and likeness in perpetuity for a reported $150M & ~$5M in annual endorsement fees.

10) John Madden is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, yet it's estimated that less than 10% of his $400M net worth came from coaching.

Point being - pursue your dreams with a relentless passion, but always be open to new opportunities.

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