John Madden Quotes

Powerful John Madden for Daily Growth

About John Madden

John Madden (1936-2021) was an influential American football coach, sportscaster, and film director, best known for his work in cinema, particularly in the sports drama genre. Born on April 10, 1936, in Auburn, Pennsylvania, Madden's passion for football emerged early, leading him to a successful coaching career with the Oakland Raiders, where he won Super Bowl XI in 1977 before retiring as coach and moving into broadcasting. Madden's transition into filmmaking began with his directorial debut of the critically acclaimed sports comedy "Kicking & Screaming" (1995), followed by the biographical drama "Hillbilly Highway" (1996). However, Madden achieved global recognition with his work on the "Coach Carter" (2005) film starring Samuel L. Jackson, a tale based on the true story of basketball coach Ken Carter. The movie was widely appreciated for its inspiring narrative and powerful performances. Madden's later works include the sports dramas "The Replacements" (2000), "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (2009) as a voice actor, and "All in the Game" (2015), a documentary about the history of the National Football League. Madden's unique blend of humor, drama, and sports expertise made him a key figure in the intertwining worlds of sports and cinema. Influenced by his deep understanding of football and its complexities, as well as his dedication to portraying powerful stories of resilience and determination, Madden's works continue to inspire audiences worldwide. He passed away on December 28, 2021, leaving behind a rich legacy that includes not only his work in sports but also his contributions to cinema.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The road to easy street goes through the sewer of hard work."

This quote suggests that achieving success, happiness, or a comfortable life (easy street) requires effort, persistence, and often significant hard work. The "sewer" symbolizes the challenging obstacles, difficulties, or sacrifices one must confront along the way. The message is that there's no shortcut to success; it's built on a foundation of hard work and determination.


"You can't win unless you learn how to lose."

This quote by John Madden underscores the importance of resilience, adaptability, and learning from mistakes in personal and professional growth. It suggests that experiencing defeat or failure is not only inevitable but also an essential part of the journey towards success. By embracing losses, understanding their causes, and applying lessons learned, individuals can become wiser, stronger, and ultimately more likely to achieve their goals. Essentially, Madden's quote encourages us to view setbacks as stepping stones on the path to victory.


"I always felt that football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and love of something far beyond yourself make the individual whole."

This quote by John Madden elucidates the profound parallels between the game of football and life's journey. Football, in Madden's perspective, reflects key values that contribute to personal growth and fulfillment. Work signifies dedication and effort put into achieving one's goals, while sacrifice represents giving up immediate pleasures for long-term gains. Perseverance is the ability to keep going despite obstacles, competitive drive fuels motivation, selflessness implies considering others before oneself, and love of something beyond oneself emphasizes finding a purpose greater than oneself. Overall, Madden suggests that incorporating these values in both football and life makes an individual whole, as they develop into well-rounded, resilient, and purposeful individuals.


"Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."

This quote by John Madden suggests that success isn't about avoiding failures, but rather maintaining a positive attitude throughout the process of learning from mistakes and moving forward. It emphasizes the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges or setbacks, as these are crucial elements for long-term growth and achievement. The key takeaway is that one should view each failure as an opportunity to learn and improve, rather than a reason to give up or lose enthusiasm.


"Coaching is simple. It's Be There, Love Them, Make them Dentists."

This quote by John Madden suggests that coaching, particularly in sports, involves three key elements: Presence, Empathy, and Guidance towards practical skills (like becoming a dentist here). 1. "Be There" means being present both physically and emotionally for your team, showing commitment and dedication to their growth and success. This is crucial because athletes need the support of their coach during challenging times. 2. "Love Them" implies having genuine care and affection for the people you are coaching. Building strong relationships based on trust and respect fosters a positive team environment where everyone feels valued and motivated. 3. "Make them Dentists" signifies providing the knowledge, skills, and discipline necessary to achieve their goals. This can be interpreted as giving your athletes practical tools that will help them succeed in their chosen field (in this case, dentistry represents any desired outcome). In essence, Madden's quote emphasizes that coaching is about supporting and empowering others by being present, showing empathy, and equipping them with the necessary skills to achieve their goals. It's a call for coaches to invest themselves fully in their teams while encouraging personal growth and development.


Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.

- John Madden

Humble, Always, Winner

That's the biggest gap in sports, the difference between the winner and the loser of the Super Bowl.

- John Madden

Sports, Super, Biggest, Winner

When the going gets tough, I'm not always sure what you do. I'm not saying that I know how to fix everything when the going gets tough, but I do know this: when the going goes tough, you don't quit. And you don't fold up. And you don't go in the other direction.

- John Madden

Always, Other, Sure, Fold

I think comparisons are odious.

- John Madden

Think, I Think, Comparisons, Odious

I've never eaten just a few bites of things I liked in my life.

- John Madden

My Life, Never, Things, Bites

A consulting position might work in another profession, but not in pro football. There's no such thing. They give a guy a parking spot and put his name up as a consultant, and in six months, they erase the name.

- John Madden

Parking, Give, Profession, Erase

Jim Harbaugh has done a great job of coaching in the NFL no matter how you put it.

- John Madden

How, NFL, Great Job, Jim

The only things that smell good are fat and sugar. Tofu being boiled doesn't smell good. Anything that smells good is fattening.

- John Madden

Smell, Being, Smells, Fattening

You're not going to eliminate concussions. Anytime you hit your head, you have a chance of getting a concussion, in any sport, too. I think we have to learn more about it. Part of it is rules, part of it is equipment, part of it is medical studies, knowing more about the brain.

- John Madden

Medical, I Think, Part, Anytime

We need the quarterbacks. It's a passing league and a quarterback-driven league. We need the Peyton Mannings in football uniforms out there playing - the Tom Bradys, the Drew Breeses, the Philip Riverses - we need those guys instead of them standing on the sideline.

- John Madden

Need, Uniforms, League, Philip

I get a certain feeling when I go to Lambeau field in Green Bay. Soldier field in Chicago is special to me. Those are the places that I really like. The stadiums.

- John Madden

Green, Like, Stadiums, Green Bay

Since 1981, I've spent every Thanksgiving Day broadcasting a game, and it is one of my favorite days. You can say, 'Woe is me, I never get to be part of the tradition,' or you can say, 'Heck, we've got our own tradition, and it's pretty good.'

- John Madden

Game, Own, Part, Woe

I would never be one to critique the announcers when I watched games. I try to watch the play and listen to the broadcasters and what they are pointing out. I was never one to say this one was good or bad.

- John Madden

Play, Bad, Critique, Broadcasters

It takes about three times as long to explain to someone why you won't give them an autograph as it does to actually give them an autograph.

- John Madden

Give, Explain, About, Autograph

I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I never really had a job. I was a football player, then a football coach, then a football broadcaster. It's been my life. Pro football has been my life since 1967. I've enjoyed every part of it. Never once did it ever feel like work.

- John Madden

My Life, Been, Broadcaster, Luckiest

I was introduced to the Turducken in New Orleans. And it wasn't Thanksgiving. Glenn at the Gourmet Butcher Block brought it by, and I had never heard of it or had seen one, and they put it in the booth, and it smelled so good that I had to taste it. And it was good. Then Thanksgiving came, and we got one in addition to the traditional turkey.

- John Madden

Brought, Smelled, Gourmet, Butcher

I've got five grandkids. They play baseball, they play football, they play basketball. I go to all the games. You always have that urge to say something when you're watching them. But I've learned to keep it to myself. I've blurted out some things and embarrassed myself.

- John Madden

Play, Some, Embarrassed, Play Football

I would never bet against Peyton Manning. You know about the age and the neck and the strength. But I had George Blanda, and as he got older, he got smarter, and he just got rid of the ball quicker. I watch Peyton, and I see George Blanda.

- John Madden

Strength, Against, About, Smarter

I have this set-up at my house where I have one big movie theater screen that's 9 ft. by 16 ft. Then, I have nine 63-inch monitors around it; four on either side and one underneath. So I get all nine one o'clock games, and I can switch them onto the big screen. That's what I do on the Sundays during the season.

- John Madden

Big, Movie, Nine, Big Movie

I never professed to be perfect. I do something wrong or something stupid, I laugh at myself.

- John Madden

Stupid, Never, Perfect, Professed

I respect coaches; I respect what good coaches do. I know that you don't learn to be a coach in an hour and a half.

- John Madden

Coaches, Hour, Half, Hour And A Half

I've always said winning's the great deodorant, and conversely, when you have a bad record, everything stinks, and everything starts to unravel, and everything falls apart.

- John Madden

Winning, Bad, Always, Unravel

Justin Smith was one of the most underrated players in the NFL for what he did. He would sacrifice and do the dirty work, then someone else would clean up off it.

- John Madden

Dirty, Players, Smith, Underrated

When your arm gets hit, the ball is not going to go where you want it to.

- John Madden

Ball, Hit, Going, Arm

I'm a firm believer that there's no way that a six-year-old should have a helmet on and learn a tackling drill.

- John Madden

Believer, Tackling, Firm, Helmet

In Oakland, Al Davis was a genius. We had Ron Wolff there, too, and he was a genius. There was no room for me to be a genius.

- John Madden

Genius, Ron, Too, Oakland

Even when I was a little kid, I hated to dress up. I hated to put on regular shoes. I wanted to play all the time. I hate to wear any kind of coat or sweater. I've never liked hot. I've never liked to be warm.

- John Madden

Dress, Play, Kid, Sweater

If you go back to the history of the 'Madden' game, I was probably on the cover of it half the time. So if I was to believe there was a curse, I would also have to believe I'd been cursed. And I've never had that feeling.

- John Madden

Game, Been, Half, Half The Time

I don't know that the referee can be watching holding on the offensive line and get back to the quarterback. I think watching the quarterback is a full-time job.

- John Madden

Think, Holding On, Offensive, Referee

We need to let the referee's sole thing be to protect the quarterback and get those late hits out of there. They even have a stat on television that says 'knockdowns.' Knockdowns means that you knock him down after he throws the ball. The assumption is, if it's legal, we'll make excuses for them.

- John Madden

Him, Knock, Quarterback, Referee

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