Inside the Bristol, Connecticut, studios of ESPN, the set of NFL Live was filled with artwork by Madden, the 14-year-old son of analyst Dan Orlovsky, in a broadcast marking World Autism Awareness Day.
Leading up to the segment, Madden created a series of football-themed illustrations, sketching N.F.L. team logos, the NFL Draft logo, and other graphics that would appear on air.
“He draws all the time,” Orlovsky tells TODAY.com.
Before the segment began, Orlovsky, a former quarterback for the Detroit Lions, said, “I’ll try not to get emotional,” a remark that nodded to his emotional reaction during Madden’s appearance last year.
He didn’t quite succeed.
Orlovsky grew visibly emotional more than once during the broadcast. First as Madden, a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, broke into the team’s fight song, and again moments later when he delivered an unscripted message to his family.
Madden, one of 14-year-old triplets and an identical twin to his brother Hunter, is one of four children Orlovsky shares with his wife, Tiffany. The couple are also parents to Noah and a 10-year-old daughter, Lennon.
“I want to tell this to Hunter, Noah, Lennon and Mom, if they’re watching this,” Madden said, looking directly into the camera. “Mom, I love you. Hunter, you’re my favorite twin. Noah, I do like you. And Lennon, you’re a good sister.”
The eighth-grader also proudly described his interests, saying he has “great artwork, great coloring, great handwriting,” and sharing some of his favorite things, including video games and foods like pizza, cheeseburgers and chocolate ice cream.
After ESPN shared footage of the moment on Instagram, it quickly went viral, drawing an outpouring of emotional responses.
For Orlovsky, the moment showed how far Madden has come, a journey he credits in large part to his wife’s relentless advocacy.
“There’s just a lot of emotion to watch his journey,” he tells TODAY. “I would have never imagined him being capable of doing that.”
He pointed to years of work behind the scenes, adding that Tiffany “has searched up and down, inside and out for this therapist and that help,” emphasizing the role she and many teachers and aides have played in supporting Madden along the way.
To the proud dad, who describes himself as “unapologetically a jock,” watching it unfold carried the weight of a big game, only this time, it belonged to Madden.
“When my kids have success in sports, it gives them this confidence,” Orlovsky. “This is his moment.”