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2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame Information Guidegame run. During the previous eight seasons, includingplayoffs, the Raiders have unbeaten streaks of 13games (1976), nine games (1971 and 1974), sevengames (1969, 1970, 1975), six games (1972) and fivegames (1973 and 1977).The Raiders won 17 straight contests betweenthe 1976 and 1977 seasons, one short of the all-timeNFL record for consecutive victories.Madden’s teams have not only specialized inputting together unbeaten streaks, but also enjoy abruptlyending other team’s extended successes. In recentyears Raider squads stopped the Miami Dolphins’ 18-game winning streak, 12-7 in 1973; blanked thePittsburgh Steelers for the first time in 132 games by a17-0 score in 1974; ended Miami’s 31-game OrangeBowl home winning streak, 31-21, in 1975; and haltedthe Steelers’ 10-game victory skein, 16-7, at Pittsburghin 1977.Madden began his professional football coachingcareer with the Raiders’ organization in 1967, servingas linebacker mentor for two years. In 1969, Maddentook over as field boss and became the youngest headcoach (33) in the AFL.Before coming to Oakland, Madden was defensivecoordinator for San Diego State from 1964 to 1966.The Aztecs were ranked No. 1 among small colleges andwon 26 of 30 games during his service there.John Madden started his coaching career at the age of23 as an assistant at Hancock Junior College in SantaMaria, California. Two years later he was appointed headcoach at Hancock. Madden’s coaching genius surfacedearly as he led Hancock to a 13-5 record during his twoyearstint as field boss. In 1963, Hancock compiled an8-1 mark and was ranked in the Top 10 Junior Collegesin the country.Success also was a part of John Madden’s lifeduring his football playing career. He started as a twowaytackle on the 1957 and 1958 California PolytechnicCollege at San Luis Obispo team that compiled a twoyearrecord of 18-2.Voted to the all-conference football team,Madden also was a catcher for the baseball squad. Heearned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959 and aMaster of Arts degree in 1961, both from Cal Poly.Madden was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the21st round of the 1958 NFL draft, but a knee injury in hisrookie year ended his playing career.Born in Austin, Minnesota, Madden was raisedin Daly City, near San Francisco. Always active in sportsas a youth, he played both football and baseball atJefferson High School.“One of his great virtues, thefire that burned brightest inhim, was his love for footballand his passion for it. Hispassion for it is seldom everequaled."- Oakland Raiders owner and Hall of FamerAl Davis on John Madden, February, 2006- 26 - Profootballhof.com