John Madden's greatest pop culture moments: Turducken, SNL and Boom! Tough Actin' Tinactin!

For more than 30 years, legendary broadcaster and coach John Madden ruled the football world. But with a personality as big as his, Madden — who died Tuesday at the age of 85 — transcended the gridiron. 

You may know Madden the coach, the commentator or the video game. But whichever generation you fall under, you knew Madden the entertainer.

From the famous Thanksgiving Turducken to hosting Saturday Night Live, Madden brought his authentic, loud and friendly demeaner across all entertainment.

Turducken Thanksgiving Tradition

Food, family and football. Madden brought all three to NFL on Thanksgiving. Most famously, he introduced the world to the Turducken — turkey, duck and chicken — and quickly made it a tradition synonymous with the holiday.

John Madden as John Madden

One of the biggest marks of pop culture royalty is hosting Saturday Night Live, especially in the golden era of the 1980s. Madden made major impressions when he hosted the late-night show in 1982. Known to skip air travel due to his claustrophobia, Madden shared with the SNL crew how he traveled in style.

Did you know he lost four players on the way to the Super Bowl?

In 1999, Madden made an appearance as himself on the satirical cartoon series the Simpsons for an episode called “Sunday, Cruddy Sunday.” Madden appeared alongside his first commentary partner Pat Summerall. The scene that aired after Super Bowl XXXIII also featured a nod to Madden’s bus, Walker Advantage Muffler Madden Cruiser, which was famously his preferred mode of transportation across the country.

When you are “larger than life,” as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones described Madden, you don’t need to play someone else. In addition to television, Madden leant himself to movies such as Little Giants and The Replacements.

Madden called many memorable plays during his life, but possibly none more memorable than the “fat guy touchdown” in The Replacements.

The Madden Seal of Approval

Not one to shy away from an endorsement, Madden used his legendary vocals to appear in multiple advertisements. Lending his famous onomatopoeia technique to Tinactin, “Boom! Tough Actin’ Tinactin!” was born:

Some have compared Madden’s commentating style to the feeling of sitting at a bar with the famous wordsmith. And, to that, Madden made multiple Miller Lite commercials:

He made quite the entrance.

Madden's cruiser, at one point sponsored by Walker Advantage Muffle, made a stop or two when transporting the broadcaster to games, including at Ace Hardware. Madden’s down-to-earth personality fit well with the neighborhood brand.

A power stripe for $2.33, what a deal!

Musical Stylings of Madden

Madden’s iconic voice also crossed into the world of music. Though never quite fully singing, Madden's melodious tone featured in Paul Simon's “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” and among other NFL legends in Kenny Chesney’s country ballad, "The Boys of Fall."