John Madden returning to cover of Madden NFL 23 video game

For the first time in two decades, late football legend John Madden will grace the cover of a Madden NFL video game. 

EA Sports on Wednesday announced that the Hall of Fame coach, who died in December, will appear on the cover of all three editions of this year's Madden NFL 23 video game. The covers will include him in different parts of his life, including as a coach and as a broadcaster. 

The date of the announcement coincided with the release date of the very first Madden game, John Madden Football, June 1, 1988. Madden last graced the cover for the 2000 edition of the video game. The video game later shifted to NFL players on the cover. 

Artist Chuck Styles created artwork for the All Madden cover, one of the three covers for this year's video game. 

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"As someone who grew up loving football, playing in the suburbs of West Philly, it’s a full circle moment to now be able to contribute to the culture of the sport by honoring an icon like John Madden, who has influenced generations of football fans through his passion for football and unmistakable energy, through my art," Styles said. 

The coaching cover shows Madden, who led the Oakland Raiders from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, being lifted by his players after beating the Minnesota Vikings in the 1977 Super Bowl. 

Video gameplay will feature an interactive experience that will see two versions of the coach leading opposing teams in the 1970s Oakland Coliseum. Madden's voice will also be featured in the game using remastered audio clips to honor his days as a broadcaster. 

During his commentating career, from 1979 to 2008, Madden was one of the most beloved broadcasters in sports. He educated a nation with his use of the telestrator on broadcasts while entertaining millions with interjections like "Boom!" and "Doink!" 

As part of the cover announcement, EA Sports said it will commit $2.5 million to four nonprofit organizations through the John Madden Legacy Commitment to Education. Another $2.5 million will go toward the creation of the EA Madden Scholarship in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), which will support students at 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

"Coach Madden was a lifelong believer in the importance of education, and we’re privileged to support these amazing organizations that are creating opportunities for the next generation to pursue their dreams in his honor," EA Sports EVP and GM Cam Weber said.

NFL ICON JOHN MADDEN'S REVOLUTIONARY CAREER CELEBRATED IN FOX SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

Madden died unexpectedly on Dec. 28 at the age of 85. 

He gained fame in a decade-long stint as the coach of the renegade Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. 

Madden compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record and was the youngest coach to reach 100 regular-season victories when he did it at 42. He never had a losing season and still has the most wins among all Raiders coaches.

He retired from coaching over an ulcer issue and general burnout from the job.

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In 1988, Madden lent his name and persona to Electronic Arts to create the "Madden NFL" video game. The popular game went from blips on the screen for systems like Super Nintendo and turned into the behemoth that it is today across the major consoles with eSports leagues developed around the game.

Fox News' Bradford Betz and Andrew Murray contributed to this report