How John Madden's cruiser became icon of NFL legend's cross-country travel
Madden was most notably opposed to flying in a plane
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The late John Madden was a legendary head coach and broadcaster, but his "Madden Cruiser" was an icon itself as the bus traveled more than 80,000 miles every year to different NFL stadiums across the country.
Madden was most notably opposed to flying in a plane. He had lost people close to him in the tragic Cal Poly football team plane crash, so to counter his fears, Madden traveled around the country in a giant coach bus.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CBS NFL commentator Pat Summerall (L) and NFL analyst John Madden (R) on the air prior during an NFL Football game circa 1986. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The custom bus came to fruition in the 1980s, and it had everything in it – a bed, a refrigerator, and a mobile office where Madden studied film.
"People used to say to me, ‘It must be great coaching and traveling and seeing all the things you do,’" Madden said in an interview with SI.com back in 1990. "Well, I'd get on the airplane, and then I'd get off the airplane, get on a bus and go to the hotel. Then the stadium, then the airplane again. I thought I'd traveled all over, but I hadn't seen anything. You've got to be on the ground to see things."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NFL legend John Madden died on Dec. 28 at the age of 85, the league announced in a statement. (Diamond Images/Getty Images)
Madden was an NFL broadcaster for CBS, then FOX, and later ABC and NBC. During his commentating career from 1979 to 2008, he was one of the biggest broadcasters in sports. He was known for his quick wit and the way he was able to dissect plays by adding where he felt necessary his patented "BOOM!"
Madden also helped turn Thanksgiving Day football into must-see TV. He would award the best players of the game a turkey leg, a tradition that still lives on during the various broadcasts presently.
John Madden on Sept. 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Madden gained fame in a decade-long stint as the coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. He compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record, and his .759 winning percentage is the best among NFL coaches with more than 100 games.
Most of all, Madden was the preeminent television sports analyst for most of his three decades calling games, winning an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, and covering 11 Super Bowls for four networks from 1979-2009.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.