Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shares funny memory of playing Madden with his dad
Fifteen years ago, as John Madden received a long-awaited induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he acknowledged a predicament regarding his public identity.
Did he preferred to be known an NFL coach? Or as a broadcaster? Or perhaps as the guy behind one of the most successful sports video games?
“I’m a coach,” he said in his induction speech in 2006. “Always been a coach.”
It’s that foremost identification that flowed into his relationships with some of the NFL’s brilliant minds today, including Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who shared fond memories of his time with Madden.
But the latter two — a broadcaster and the namesake of the video game — have a lasting impact on the next generation.
And the next.
And the next.
A day after Madden died at 85, two 20-something Chiefs players described playing the Madden video game as tools for their own football careers.
“Kind of learning football by playing the video game growing up,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
A fond memory.
Well, for the most part.
“A lot of memories from when my dad was beating me when he had Randy Moss and the Vikings,” Mahomes said. “And making me cry in the game room.”
More than a decade later, Mahomes had the opportunity to meet Madden in a conversation that included Reid. Mahomes has twice graced the cover of the video game, including this year’s MVP edition alongside Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady. After the photo shoot for the cover, Mahomes was asked to participate in a documentary about Madden that premiered just last weekend and will continue to air on NFL Network and FS1 throughout this week.
“I said one thousand percent,” Mahomes said. “The impact that John Madden made not only on the NFL but on me and a lot of the players here in this league is tremendous. I wanted to show my respect. He’s such a great person and a great leader in the game of football.”
Roger Goodell, the league commissioner, credited Madden for turning the NFL into what it is now.
Madden coached the Raiders from 1969-1978 before an early retirement, but that only set in motion his second career as a broadcaster whose voice alongside play-by-play man Pat Summerall remains of the most recognizable in the NFL.
The video game took on a life of its own. Upon its inception in 1988, Madden insisted it mimic the real game best as it could, which meant not taking shortcuts. The game blossomed into the best-selling sports video game of all-time.
Today’s generation of players grew up with the game. Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones said Wednesday he owned a copy as far back as Madden NFL ’98.
“It actually brought me closer to football,” Jones said. “I wanted to play with myself on the game.
“His name, he legacy speaks for itself. ... What he was able to do for the game, his love for the game, his perspective and how he viewed the game — it impacted not only players but coaches and other individuals throughout the world. I give my gratitude to his family.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shares funny memory of playing Madden with his dad."