October 4, 2024

My hat is off, and I am in awe and wonderment

As the National Football League is just dipping into its league play, I need to take some time to write about a young Man from my hometown. Now it may not have special meaning to you when you hear this particular individual’s name, but it does to me and I’m the one writing this column.
This man’s name is John Madsen, Or Johnny as he used to be known.
What sets Madsen apart from the rest of us is that he happens to be a tight end for the Oakland Raiders.

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This archived article was written by: Robert Hanson

As the National Football League is just dipping into its league play, I need to take some time to write about a young Man from my hometown. Now it may not have special meaning to you when you hear this particular individual’s name, but it does to me and I’m the one writing this column.
This man’s name is John Madsen, Or Johnny as he used to be known.
What sets Madsen apart from the rest of us is that he happens to be a tight end for the Oakland Raiders.
And the name has special meaning to me because I was graced of having played on the same field as this great athlete in high school, although it was a slightly different shape being that Madsen was a baseball player at the time.
In fact through out high school Madsen never played football.
He was a baseball-basketball letter at Hunter High Schoolin West Valley City. Johnny used to begin all of ourhigh school baseball games, exclaiming that it wastime to kick some, well it consisted of two four-letter words so I’ll let you figure the rest out for yourself.
But I mention this because Madsen graduatedand has taken that attitude all the way to the top.
His football days didn’t begin until after graduation from high school,as he made his way to study in college.
The name John Madsen, a familiar oneto all fans for the University of Utah football program, as hebecame a star with 55 catches for 672 yards and sixtouchdowns his senior year.
On the fifth of May, Madsen was picked up by Oakland,and my hat is off to Madsen, yours should be too, for all the hard work he has put into his career.
Truly an amazing humanly feat for a former basketball and baseball athlete.