In the moments after Jalen Milroe ran into one of his offensive linemen, lost his balance and was engulfed by Michigan’s defenders, clinching last Monday’s 27-20 overtime, Jesse Madden joined his teammates for a celebration. The reserve safety, who happens to be NFL icon John Madden’s grandson, donned a 2024 Rose Bowl cap along the sideline.
On the field where his grandfather coached the then-Oakland Raiders to a 1976 NFL championship during Super Bowl XI, the younger Madden likely took a moment to embrace the role he played on the scout team to prepare the Michigan starters to earn a trip to Monday’s CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston.
In his mind, it’s also likely Madden thought about one of the Hall of Famer’s famous sayings as a broadcaster: “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.”
Or, while he watched Milroe fall two yards short of the end zone on the final play of the Rose Bowl: “You got one guy going BOOM, one guy going WHACK, and one guy not getting in the endzone.”
Michigan defensive back Jesse Madden next to his grandfather’s Pro Football Hall of Fame bust #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/YleKNngaYk
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) May 4, 2023
Jesse Madden Living Up To Famous Grandfather, John
In the week before the Rose Bowl, Jesse Madden’s attention was interrupted by a call from a Los Angeles Times sportswriter. Yeah, he put down his controller.
“My teammates and I were just playing Madden when you called,” the redshirt junior said after answering the call, referring to Madden NFL, the video game enterprise.
Sound crazy? Not the scout-team defensive back.
“For me, it’s not crazy because it’s all I’ve known my whole life,” he said.
A former three-star quarterback recruit out of Oakland, Madden joined the Wolverines as a walk-on signal-caller and earned a varsity letter after taking snaps against Northern Illinois on Sept. 18, 2021.
John Madden was able to watch the nonconference matchup about three months before his death.
“The fact that he got to see me play was really special,” the grandson said.
Wonder if Jesse thought of another Madden-ism during his time behind center: “Here’s a guy who can use his arms and legs at the same time.”
Or … “If the quarterback throws the ball in the endzone and the wide receiver catches it, it’s a touchdown.”
Beginning as a seventh-string QB, Madden switched to safety as a sophomore. He continues to play his role. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Madden earned the program’s defensive scout team player of the year last season.
One of Madden’s biggest Rose Bowl memories?
“I got a shot of me wearing a Super Bowl XI T-shirt at the Rose Bowl,” he said. “So cool how it has come full circle.”
The No. 1-seeded Wolverines are favored by 4.5 points to beat the No. 2 Huskies on Monday, according to Betonline Sportsbook.
#nfl #HereWeGo A reserve safety for Michigan, Jesse Madden, shares a special connection with his grandfather, the iconic John Madden. https://t.co/Q1zPmaYitx
— NFL Digest (@nflpress_digest) January 2, 2024
CFP National Championship Game Odds
Here are the odds for Monday’s CFP national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston, according to Betonline Sportsbook:
| Teams | CFP National Championship Game | Play |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 2 Washington | Michigan, -4.5 |  |
*-Odds Through Friday
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