Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules - Dudes on John Madden

Episode Date: June 13, 2026

We're covering NFL Legend John Madden! Gronk and Julian Edelman discuss what makes John Madden so great and some of their favorite stories.Support the show: https://hoo.be/dudesondudesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's that time to put on your jersey and wave your flag, whoever you root for. Why do I watch the World Cup? That's like asking me, why do I breed? And it's beautiful. The guys are young and cute and fit. It's not just a game. It's your culture. I like watching it with my dad.

It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. Listen to American Football on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano.

It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was funny. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis' keep coming to.

He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Turn someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio. Nonstop workout music and expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to IHeart.com.

Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight. When your hardest hit, it's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Don't quit. Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets momentum. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free. Have a great day.

I heart radio. June is Black Music Month, and on the Drink Chams podcast, we're speaking with the hottest names in the culture, like Sway Lee. Do you realize how legendary you are? I appreciate that. I'd be seeing it, but I'm like, man, I still got, like, so much more to do. Like, Prince, he dropped like 30 albums. We dropped like five right now.

That's the rate we got to be going. Yep, that's a good attitude. No matter the era, Drink Chams brings you the biggest names and the most unfiltered conversations. Listen to Drink Chams from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Standing six feet, four inches tall and weighing around 250 pounds during his playing days. He grew up in Daily City, California. Shut up. And played college football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

As an offensive tackle, he was. drafted in the 21st round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Philadelphia. It goes, my mind was just blown because I just learned something, Julian. There was that many rounds in the NFL draft back then. They used to have a lot of round. Yeah. How many rounds were there total? 30 rounds total?

Yeah. That's absurd. That's absurd. I'm glad they knocked it down a little bit. That would be way too much if there was 30 rounds. It wouldn't even make sense. It wouldn't even make sense. You better have large rosters.

Oh, but was there less teams? Is there only like 10 teams? Is that why there was 30 rounds? They're just throwing out. It's like kind of getting drafted to go to the military. And if someone showed up, they showed up, then great. Kind of. But if they didn't show up, well, he didn't show up.

That's why we drafted 50 players to our team this year. If you get drafted in the military, you got to go. That's when we know. They just didn't have it. You're going to draft 50 guys back then. The ones that don't show, we already know they don't have it. More like baseball, military, but yeah, we'll take it.

And he went on to become one of the most successful head coaches in NFL history, winning over 100 games and securing a super. Super Bowl title in 1977. After his playing and coaching days were over, his football intellect and natural charisma helped him become a legendary broadcaster, pitch man, video game pioneer, and cultural icon.

Let's get on John Madden. John Madden. And Jules, what's the first thing that you think of when you hear the name John Madden? The turduckin. Ooh, turduckin. Who doesn't think of the turduckin? This guy used to cut the damn turduckon.

This guy used to cut the damn turduckin with his fingers, those big ass offensive line sausages that he had. He cut the turduckon on Thanksgiving, and he would reward the MVP of Thanksgiving Day with the turduck and turkey leg, chicken, whatever the thing is. Whatever leg it is, he would give it to him. We all know about it because of John Madden. Thanksgiving, John Madden. Football when you watch it, John Madden. If you're a kid that's in his 30s or lower, 40s, maybe even. early 50s taught you the game of football through his video game.

John Madden is one of the most important names for the NFL. One of the most important names for the National Football League. I mean, you got kids out in Tokyo and Africa and India playing American football because of John Madden video game. I don't know if that's actually true. I know it's the highest grossing American video game of all time. but you know it sounded good it sounded good that's all matters that's all but you know he daily city i i love john man because he he's a fellow college of sam college of samateo alum go bulldogs went to

s m the same juko that i went to he was born and raised in daily city so he had a huge bay area bay area influence and then he also coached the raiders legendary got them their first was it their first Super Bowl. Got them their first Super Bowl with Al Davis with that cornerstone organization and the history of that organization to be the guy that brings them their first. I mean, he's just, he's an absolute legend. His name is synonymous with football. Here's a question for you being a California guy. How did being a Norkel guy shape his approach to the game? That's a question I just do at you. I mean, it's not even just John Madden. How is just being a NorCal guy, how is just being a NorCal guy overall. I mean, John Madden set the standard, but like how do that change the approach

or how do he see it, you know, approaching the game, you know, just being from California. Well, if you look at him on and how he was on TV, very approachable, like there's always the stories of how John Madden took the bus everywhere and was always big in the community that he was visiting would go up to people. He was like the most famous guy in football and he would go hang out at like the local restaurant and I think maybe and that's what the knower cowness he has is being able to be a very intellectual dude but be able to break it down to simple for everyone to understand kind of techie kind of techie I mean he's C plus plus and shit there we go that's the answer that we're looking for all of a sudden you know you're he's coding shit for you to

understand there it is basically coding football For the regular viewer to understand. I mean, Daily City, the freaking cloudiest place in the world, but awesome, right by the SFO. Literally, it's the, it's like, that's why they're geniuses. They don't go outside of it. It's cloudy. It's so cloudy. What's the point of going outside?

There's no sun. You just stay inside and you become a tech master. Tech master. And that's kind of what he was. Well, in the Bay Area that you have this mountain range that is along the whole coast and it funnels all that fog right from both north and south right into like daily city and so daily city always freaking foggy shout out saromani uh that's over there sarah moni was this mall where you everyone would go get their air force ones it was in daily city um shout out say in that era and being that consistent for that long of a time yes you got to give it to

him i would say right who would be up there in that competition there's there's a lot of great ones i mean i don't know john man's the guy right he is just the guy and that's why he got the video game cover. Doink. Whop. Hey. Wop. I like Wop.

I want to say wop. Wop. He used to go, boom. Just the way that he broke down plays too. Like you said, he invented the Telestrator. That's why he is who he is because you said it. He made the game simple. And the game of football is not simple.

There's a lot going on, especially if you have a quarterback. You got to know 15 things going on in a matter of a split. seconds. You got to know where the safeties are, who's blitzing off, what the defense alignment is doing, what your wide receivers are doing, what are the calls at the offensive line position. And then when he broke it down, when John Madden broke it down on that

little, you know, chalkboard or whatever he was doing. Yeah, he's the one who started that type of shit too to break it down with the fans. He made it simple for fans to understand the game of football for people that don't play the game of football because it's hard to understand the game of football if you don't play

it. And if you can break it down easy, It gets the fans more involved. And that's also what made him so iconic is he got so many fans involved and understanding the game of football because he broke it down so easily. And that's kind of how I am too. I appreciate when it's simple, Jules. When McDaniels was calling 50 calls at the line of scrimmage, you got to do that when the blitzers.

I'm like, no, it's a lot for me. You got to think. I like one. It's simple. And McDaniels found that out too as my office coordinator. He's like, I'm just going to keep it simple for Gronk. And that's when you thrive the most. So I appreciate John Matt.

for keeping it simple. You understand it and you can just go out there and do what you got to do. They call that kiss. Keep it simple, silly. My dad used to say stupid though. You ever meet John Madden? I didn't get to meet John Madden. I never have either, but it feels like if we ever did meet him. Yeah, it's like you feel like you know, you be your good friend. You know what he also did like he brought in the telestrator. He brought in, you know, Madden. I remember hearing stories that they originally wanted to make it 8 verse 8 because they didn't have the technology to do 11 versus 11. He was like hard no. If we're going to teach football, we're going to teach it correctly. He taught football to the viewer. The Telestrator, what that did and what that showed

was that gave an inside look of how a coach coaches a player. You know, the great Telestrator coaches that we had. I had Scotty O'Brien where these guys would sit up there for 20 minutes and they be doing John Madden shit. All right, you guys, he'd draw like a butt here, a butt here. You gotta get up there going. These guys get on these tellurators and they think they're fucking Picasso or something. And, you know, and it's, you know, but it brought the best out of them as well. It brought the best.

And it was a form of entertainment. And it was. And it broke it down simpler as well. And made it simple. And he was the first. John Madden was the first to show people. That's how we broke down film. That's how like probably in those days, they had overhead projectors where they would show.

all right guys this is what we're doing and like that that little thing right there is so huge and now you look at like how they show games now everyone every network is always trying to look for that new thing that's like the telestrator with all the different camera angles the fucking camera that goes in behind and everything like all that stuff you could he's a pioneer a lot of that shit you know what i mean happy pride montrano pride is an opportunity for you to create your own space to celebrate your existence. Iheart Radio is proud to be an official sponsor of Pride Toronto Festival and we won't stop. Celebrate Pride.

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That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial,

calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelive 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I love the sounds, the buzzing from the stadium, the chanting from the fans, the announcers calling the place soccer, football, it's home. Why do I watch the World Cup? That's like asking me, why do I breed?

I inherited that fandom from my mom. I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. We go beyond the game to the people and the stories that make it great. A soccer game is a festival. She has a game.

It's your culture. I took an elbow to my head, which cracked my skull. It is an American game. The Brazilians don't like hearing that, though. Are they the only ones that don't like that? Nobody likes that. As we get ready for the Men's World Cup this summer, listen to American Football as part of the My Coutura Podcast Network,

available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast, PointGue. game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Rand. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Madden game, I mean.

I mean, John Madden's so legendary. They already have a movie coming out about John Madden. You got Nicholas Cage playing Madden. And I've seen some pictures of him. He kind of looks exactly like Madden. I don't know how they do that. Nicholas Cage is a skinnier guy. And like, what do they do?

Fill them up with pillows. Yeah. I mean, when I used to fill myself up with pillows, I'd be in one corner. My brother would be in the other corner. We call it Zooms. And you just get as big as you possibly can, stuff as many pillows as you can.

and then you would run full speed at each other and just crash right into each other. Kind of like Mark Allstop versus any linebacker and you would meet at the line of scrimmage and then we would just go flying backwards, but our protection was the pillows. So that's what I guess Nicholas Cage is doing right now. Let me explain something to some people out there

for all you people that think like, oh, I got a baby gronk in my house. Look at this kid's, his form of entertainment was running full speed into a wall with pillows, okay? Into another person, not a wall. built different. Into another one. Into another person.

He literally, the former entertainment was playing hockey downstairs and fucking running into each other with pillows. Full contact. Look at that looks like Madden. That's Nicholas Cage.

Holy shit. They got his tities and everything. I'm gonna be watching the movie. You remember Matton used to have some, he used to have man boobs. We all love Madden's man boobs. Would you have rather played for John Madden as, you know,

with him being the head? coach or would you rather have been his broadcast partner? I'd rather play with him, played for him. I heard he was an awesome players coach. I took a picture recently in a bathroom. I forgot where I was and it was a quote of John Madden. He goes, guys, what was it? I think it was like you can't break.

If you don't make a lot of rules, guys can't break them. It was something like along that line. Didn't I send it to you guys? the fewer rules a coach has the fewer rules there are for players to break keeps it simple keeps it simple the rules that he has probably get fouled so well because there's not so many rules and i think he did only have three rules what were they they were simple beyond time pay attention this is like kindergarten i love it yeah i could have thrived i could have gotten an a you know playing for john madden in the day and play hard when I tell you.

I like that. So if he doesn't tell you to play hard, you don't have to play hard? You're probably just playing your game. But then like when he really needs, like that team to step up, his team step up to another level, brings him in the huddle.

Hey, motherfuckers, I need you guys to play hard right now. And whoop the motherfucking asses. And then they go out there and play hard. I bet you he had some, he probably had some great like pregame speeches. I mean, the guy knows how to,

talk savvy savvy clever and it was like always like entertaining talk like the booms and you know he would come up with names and he would like he analogized the regular man shit to like i really look up to people like john madden that just have that wittiness to them there's a lot of people like that greg olson has a stray hand has it you know terry bradshaw has it like you put them in any situation and they can just be witty with whatever's going on and figure out a way to explain that you know he's a way to explain what's going on or a way to ask a question of what's being evaluated right there. John Madden had that. The words he would come up with, the way he would explain things, you got to be born with that trait. I mean, you can develop it a little bit. I got it in a way, like, but they have it to a whole

nutter level. And it's like, I envy it. I love it. I love what they just do. And John Madden had that. And that's what made him so great as well. And that's what made him just a great speaker and and a guy to explain the game and broadcaster and coach, because you can relate to people when you can, you know, speak like that. And I, I, I love, I love people like that. And it's crazy. He's, he's one of the, he's the only broadcaster to go on the, the four big networks, NBC, CBS, ABC, and then go into Fox.

Mm-hmm. He did all four. He did the big four. Mm-hmm. That's when you know you're good. Mm-hmm. Hearing old stories from Shanks, one of our bosses at Fox. He used to say that, like, John basically gave the template of how we're going to call the game.

And it was basically like a play sheet of, like, how you would prepare for a game. Like the information groups, like building a scouting system. There's, he taught the people on, like, what information he wanted to see, like, what the coaches request for all the film guys for when they're breaking down an opponent. I heard, like, he was a huge part of all. that I could be completely wrong and may have just thought that through my my brain but I remember shanks talking about a lot of about madden no definitely he was one of the first guys that brought in the interviewing with the players night before whenever you hear like oh we're talking to this guy you know like that was john madden and that's a true inside perspective into the game is when you get inside

the heads of the player and john madden started that like you said and that helps you out in the booth as well and it gives you know a better perspective to the fans and a sports it's in the game all right before we get on though and figure out what type of guy he is jules i got a question what was your best madden rating i don't know yeah you do know i really don't come on you don't know i was in the 90s i'll tell you mine you were a 99 clubber yeah i was a 99 clubber yeah i was a 99 clubber that's why i asked you that so i can boost my ego up a little bit 99 clubber a couple times as well What was I? I don't think I really deserved it like one of the years,

but I was a 99er a few times. My best. What was my best? 95. 95. That's not bad. 95 is really good overall. It must have been your speed that knocked you down.

Yeah. Your quickness is definitely a 99. Should be elite. What's your speed? What was your 40, by the way? 448. Oh, that's not bad, actually. 451.

Yeah. But your quickness is just through the roof. Through the roof, Julius. 95 overall. all. That's not bad. You run a cover? Mm-hmm. What year? 12? I think it was. You were on the cover, Madden? Yes. Yes.

You've been on so much cool shit. I forget half of it. Yes. Thanks, man. I appreciate it. It was really cool, man. I think it was 2017. You didn't get hurt after the curse was gone. It was. It was gone. I forgot. The guy before me broke it. Who was on it the year before me. Oh, I do remember that. But yeah, I was

gronk-spiking on the cover. I mean, it was special, dude. it was really special to be on the cover of madden so i just want to give a big shout up to john madden for creating madden and giving me the opportunity to be on the cover and it was special dude it really was just just to you know it's an honor be in that category you know to be recognized like that you know that was one of the coolest things that happened to me while i was playing you know in the NFL. It really was. Hell yeah. I mean, that's a huge honor. And I didn't know my score, but like, I remember back when we were playing, we all looked at our score. I knew I was on a high 90 of some sort, my best. But like, that was a huge thing in the locker room. I mean, you got guys

that like, what the fuck, man? That's all they care about now. That's all they care about. Is there goddamn matting rating? I mean, what was it? The New York Giants? They were, uh, or was it the Jets? They were cutting guys based on their Madden score? I mean, that's what, that's what? they said. I mean, the grandson was running it. Yeah, I mean, that, that just shows how influential. Yeah, influential and how legit Madden is. Let's get into what kind of dude is John Madden? I think this one's easy. Easy. I mean, he's, he's definitely a stud drafted in the 20th round. Maybe a freak. We all see the man boobs. That's out of love. Definitely had some dog in him, because I've seen a mother F some people. You see a mother F.

and the old footage is. He used to yell. And he used to remember he used to have all those great commercials. He used to have a lot of great commercials. He's definitely a dude. Mm-hmm. But I think it's easy what he is. It is. On three, one, two, three, whiz.

Why do you think he's a whiz? He's a whiz. I mean, like you said, he broadcasts for all, you know, four of the major stations. He was a head coach. He was a player. And just the way he broke down games. You got to be a smart and intellectual guy in order to do that.

And I would say that's his number one aspect of, who he was was just his knowledge. And when you got that knowledge, you're a whiz. He literally got inside the game, as EA would say, because of John Madden. It's that time to put on your jersey and wave your flag, whoever you root for. Why do I watch the walk up? That's like asking me, why do I breed? And it's beautiful.

The guys are young and cute and fat. It's not just a game. It's your culture. I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernando Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. Listen to American Football on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season, and I'm looking back on some of the in my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was crying. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow.

Then after that game seven, Marquis come in, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. June is Black Music Month, and on the Drink Champs podcast, we're speaking with the hottest names in the culture, like Sway Lee. Do you realize how legendary you are? I appreciate that.

I'd be seeing it, but I'm like, man, I still got, like, so much more to do. Like, Prince, he dropped, like, 30 albums. We dropped, like, five right now. Like, that's the rate we gotta be going. Yep, that's a good attitude. No matter the era, Drink Chams brings you the biggest names and the most unfiltered conversations. Listen to Drink Chams from the Black Effect Podcast Network

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Turn Someday into Right Now with Buddy by Jake Radio, Non-stop workout music and expert tips 24-7 Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight.

When your hardest hit, it's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Don't quit. Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets momentum. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free. Have a great day. IHeart Radio.