John A. Madden. - 1972

John Madden entered St. Thomas High School from St. Cecilia Parish in the fall of 1968. John was a three sport, eight-letter winner while attending St. Thomas - he lettered in football, basketball, and track, and played for the St. Thomas summer league baseball team. John was a two-way performer for the 1971 TCIL Class 3A State Champions in football.  He averaged 14 points and 16 rebounds a game for the basketball team and was the high-point man for the season as a hurdler and relay man in track.

During his senior year, John was an All-District performer for the football and basketball teams, All-State for the basketball team, and finished 2nd in the hurdles at the state track meet. He was named the recipient of the coveted “Houston’s Outstanding Athlete” award for 1971-72 by the Athletic Committee of the Houston Chamber of Commerce.

John was an honor roll student maintaining an “A” average throughout his career while finishing in the top 15 in his class. He accepted a football scholarship to play for Texas Tech University. In 1976, Texas Tech was Co-Champion of the Southwest Conference finishing in the top ten in the nation.  He graduated from Texas Tech in 1977 earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.

John credits his success to his parents, especially his mother, who was captain of her 1946 St. Mary’s College basketball team in Notre Dame, Indiana; his older brothers, Dan and Pete, although Jesuit graduates coached and pushed him to improve; and his three younger brothers, Rich, Dave, and Pat, all St. Thomas graduates and good athletes.

John and his wife, Janna, raised four children, Sunny, Jacob, Brie, and Shey. Following family tradition, Brie won three consecutive State Championships in basketball and one in high jump at Class 5A power Mansfield High School; then an Academic All-Big 12 player for Kansas State in basketball while winning the Big 12 Conference Championship in 2004.