JOHN MADDEN is the voice of football for many.

The late commentator’s reputation was well earned thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge of the game he loved.

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And one clip doing the rounds of a young Tom Brady in action hammers home that point.

Watching the seven-time Super Bowl champion in just his 15th start, Madden saw enough to compare Brady, 46, to Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.

“I hate to say what I’m going to say, but I’m going to say it anyway. Tom Brady and his calmness reminds me of Joe Montana,” began the legendary commentator.

“I’m not saying Tom Brady is Joe Montana yet, but the way he gets back there and makes everything look so effortless and easy, it reminds me of Montana,” he continued.

“He’s not struggling, he’s just back there in the pocket calm and reading the defense and getting rid of the ball.

“That part of him reminds me of Joe Montana. Very poised.

“He’s just so calm doing it.

“He’s not jittery, not dancing around, he just stands there and hits his receivers for touchdowns.”

“Coach Madden was a great evaluator of Talent. That’s why he was such a great Coach,” replied one fan.

“Madden and Summerall were the best combo! They were pro football for me growing up,” added another.

Brady led the New England Patriots to a 30-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game in question, which took place in September 2002.

Throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns, the NFL great showed why Madden rated him so highly.

The following seasons, he led the Pats to back-to-back Super Bowl triumphs and the rest, as they say, is history.

Madden passed away aged 85 in 2021.

Future Hall of Fame passer Brady said of the late great: “I grew up admiring John Madden, first as a coach, then as a commentator.

Five best roasts from the Tom Brady roast

“When you got a chance to go 8-9 and all it will cost you is your wife and your kids, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
Kevin Hart on Tom Brady’s divorce from Gisele Bundchen

“People have said that Tom and I have butted heads a lot and, in a way, that was true. But not really. It was hard to butt heads with Tom because he was so far up Alex Guerrero’s a**.”
Bill Belichick

“Tom, good luck buying the Raiders. They did your favorite thing for you already – they got rid of Jimmy Garoppolo.”
Robert Kraft

“Everybody asks me which ring is my favorite. I used to say, ‘The next one.’ But now that I’m retired, my favorite ring is the camera that caught Coach Belichick slinking out of that poor girl’s house at 6 a.m. a few months ago.”
Tom Brady

“There were rumors Coach Belichick was gonna be here tonight. Turns out he has some time on his hands. Look, at least when I was fired somebody else wanted me.”
Drew Bledsoe

“I loved John’s passion for the game, especially his insatiable appetite for educating audiences about football.

“He welcomed fans with that warm smile, infectious laugh, and exceptional knowledge of the game, making everyone feel as if John were watching the broadcast right next to them on their living room sofa.”

Brady’s 199 Productions are involved in producing a mini-series about Madden’s career.

“If Dad was still around, and he was looking for a few guys to huddle up and tell his story, he’d be thrilled to have Tom Brady leading the huddle,” said his son Mike.

“On behalf of 199 Productions, I’m honored to collaborate with Virginia and Mike Madden, my co-founder at Religion of Sports, Gotham Chopra, and the rest of the creative team, in telling the iconic story of a family man who revolutionized not only the game but the culture of football,” added Brady.