Hear the emotional voicemail John Madden left for NY Giants head coach

John Madden passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 85.

He meant so many things to so many NFL football fans of all ages in the NFL. Older fans remember him from his coaching days. Middle-aged fans remember him broadcasting games with both Pat ("Murder......She Wrote") Summerall, and younger fans like my sons remember him for the video game they have been playing since their "sports light" went on.

But former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin remembers John Madden for a voicemail he left for him after his New York Giants were beaten by the New England Patriots in the 2007 regular-season finale. In a game, they lost 38-35.

The Giants were already going to the playoffs and didn't need to win the game. There was talk that Head Coach Tom Coughlin might rest his players. Those that said that didn't know Coughlin. They all played and they played their hearts out This so moved John Madden that he left an emotional voicemail for the Giants head coach.

Tom Coughlin says on this tweet from the New York Giants Twitter;

"I come in the next morning 5 o'clock in the morning my message lights on. I listen to a voicemail from John Madden"

Here's Madden's message on the machine.

"Tom this is John Madden calling on Sunday morning, just to congratulate you and our team for a great effort last night, you know not good but great ...We were getting too much of that well they're going to rest their players, they don't need it and that's not sports and that's not competition."

Coughlin says, "We don't play for ties, we don't play to rest people, we play competitively to win. That's the credibility of our sport, giving great effort."

Madden goes on to say in the voicemail, "Anyway I'm a little emotional about it but I was so damn proud of what you guys did. It's something that we all ought to thank you for because the NFL needed that. Congratulations!"

Coughlin played the voicemail to the team so that they could know how John Madden felt about them. Coughlin felt they should have won that game. Not to worry. A few weeks later they would play the Patriots again in Super Bowl XLII 17-14.

I believe it was that end-of-season loss that showed the Giants that they could beat undefeated New England and they actually did. That team and that head coach Tom Coughlin represented exactly what John Madden stood for. RIP Coach.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.