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Did John Madden invent Turducken? How the late coach helped popularise Thanksgiving dish

The late John Madden made turducken famous during a December 1996 broadcast. The legendary NFL sportscaster and coach was also well-known for his love of Thanksgiving and his affection for six-legged turkeys.
posted by Ashim Arora
Friday 11/28/2025 at 12:25PM EST
  • OAKLAND, CA - CIRCA 1970's: John Madden head coach of the Oakland Raiders coaches from the sideline during a circa 1970s NFL game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. Madden coached the Raiders from 1969-78. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
    OAKLAND, CA - CIRCA 1970's: John Madden head coach of the Oakland Raiders coaches from the sideline during a circa 1970s NFL game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. Madden coached the Raiders from 1969-78. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

    The National Football League’s annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration honored the legendary coach and broadcaster for the fourth-straight year on Thursday, November 27. The three-game slate commemorated the late NFL commentator’s love for the national holiday and football. 

    Madden was well-known for pioneering the Turkey Leg Award, after he honored Philadelphia Eagles’ Reggie White post-game for his MVP performance. Years later, the sportscaster also made “turducken” popular after eating it on-air during a December 1996 game. 

    John Madden is not the inventor of the three-bird roast. According to What’s Cooking America and Bloomberg, National Geographic Magazine traced the holiday delicacy’s origins to Maurice, Louisiana. However, it remains unclear who invented turducken. 

    Per Bloomberg, late Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme and Hebert’s Specialty Meats have claimed to be the inventors of the dish. Despite the conflicting claims behind its origin, the turducken gained fame across the US thanks to John Madden. 

    According to USA Today, Madden was calling the then-St. Louis Rams vs New Orleans Saints with his co-commentator on December 1, 1996. The celebrated sportscaster mentioned how he was still eating his Thanksgiving leftovers and shared his fascination with the Louisiana dish.

    John Madden then explained the Thanksgiving dish on-air:

    “Turducken. It's turkey… You got the turkey on the outside. Then you stuff the turkey with the duck, then you stuff the duck with the chicken. So it’s, Tur-Duck-en, Turkey… 'Tur' for turkey. 'Duck' for duck. And '-en' for chicken. And it’s right here. Then you just mix it all up ‘cause it’s boneless.” 

    Madden then continued sharing his love for turducken during the future Thanksgiving games’ broadcast. Last year, the NFL shared a compilation of John’s on-air love for the dish and wrote: 

    “Nobody loves a Turducken more than John Madden ❤️” 

    NFL Films remembers John Madden and Pat Summerall in a throwback video

    While the late sportscaster’s love for turducken is well-known, he was also a fan of six-legged-turkey. In a throwback clip shared by NFL Films on X, the production company paid tribute to John Madden and Pat Summerall with a video of their past Thanksgiving broadcasts, commenting on their love for the holiday delicacies. 

    “Watching them on Thanksgiving doing a game for some NFC Central team was about as good as it gets,” a user wrote. 

    “These were the voices I grew up on !!!,” another user said. 

    “Greatest broadcasting duo in NFL history,” one user tweeted. 

    “Iconic voices, iconic day Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without Madden and Summerall. Legends forever,” another one posted. 

    NFL commemorated Madden on Thursday across three games at Ford Field (Detroit), AT&T Stadium (Dallas), and M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore). The sidelines at each venue featured special John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration stencils, while all players wore jerseys with a patch that included a silhouette of John Madden. 

    NFL also used special coins for the toss, featuring a six-legged turducken on one side (tails) and a silhouette of Coach Madden on the other (heads). After the game, quarterback Joe Burrow received the Madden Thanksgiving MVP award for his contributions in the Cincinnati Bengals’ victory against the Baltimore Ravens. 

    TOPICS: John Madden, John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration, NFL, Thanksgiving


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