Will To Win Foundation | Joe Harris Football

We have created a unique program discussion opportunity both face to face or from a school, community, or college-based 'virtual labs' to link former and current professional American football players together with your scholar-athletes to discuss the sport, pre and post Madden, as an excellent way to share historical and rudimentary aspects of the character, education necessary and respect for the sport, one's self and others. This shared-vision opportunity and overview of how American football developed from its roots to become a major social, economic, and cultural force in communities is all "tailored to your team's needs" and priceless!

🏈 American Football Pre-Madden (Before 1988)

The provided text primarily describes AN EXAMPLE of the era before the massive digital shift, capturing the sport's deep-rooted, physical, and localized community presence.

Community Connection

Deeply embedded. Games (especially high school/college) were crucial social events ("Friday night lights"). The sport fostered social cohesion and identity, with local rivalries reinforcing social bonds

Physical, local, and tangible.

Community bonding happened in person at stadiums, tailgates, and local businesses on game days.

Fan Engagement

Rooted in traditional, televised media and in-person attendance. Fans followed rule changes, team news, and rivalries through newspapers, radio, and television broadcasts.

Passive viewership (TV/radio) and active spectatorship (attending games). Knowledge of the game relied heavily on broadcast commentary and written analysis.

Sporting Knowledge

Knowledge of strategy, playbooks, and player attributes was largely limited to coaches, players, and serious analysts. The average fan understood the basics but had limited insight into complex formations and player ratings.

Specialized knowledge. Insider analysis was less accessible to the general public.

Economic Impact

Significant on local communities, driven by stadium construction/renovation, game-day spending at local businesses (restaurants, bars), and tourism from attending fans.

Direct, geographical economic boost.

🎮 American Football Post-Madden (1988 - Present)

The Madden NFL series, released first in 1988 and becoming an annual franchise, is widely considered a cultural phenomenon that profoundly impacted how the game is consumed, understood, and marketed. Its influence is a digital evolution of the sport's cultural status described in the provided history.

📈 Increased Visibility and Fan Literacy

Madden as a Gateway: The video game introduced the complexities of football—playbooks, formations, player positions, and ratings—to a massive, young audience. Millions of casual observers became digitally fluent fans, able to discuss concepts like defensive schemes and personnel matchups.
Impact: The game's success helped drive interest in the NFL as an entertainment product, contributing to the league's massive growth in the 1990s and 2000s. Its "Madden Curse" and annual player ratings have become mainstream sports media topics, increasing the sport's general cultural visibility.

Player Ratings: The game's use of quantifiable player ratings (e.g., speed, agility, strength) introduced a common vernacular for evaluating talent, shifting the fan experience from purely emotional to analytical and statistical. Fans now argue about a player's real-life rating compared to their Madden rating.

Year-Round Engagement: The game, released annually in the off-season, transformed the NFL into a year-round engagement property. Fans could "play" during the months when live games weren't happening, maintaining interest and connection to their teams.

🌐 Digital Community and Culture

Virtual Community: While the historical analysis focuses on physical community (stadiums, local businesses), Madden created a global, virtual community of competitive players and strategists who share a passion for the simulation.
Marketing and Branding: The game has become a massive marketing tool, cementing player and team brands. Being featured prominently in Madden is a key part of a player's public identity.

💰 Economic and Cultural Shift

New Revenue Stream: Madden created a billion-dollar revenue stream for the NFL and its licensing partner (EA Sports) that is separate from traditional broadcast rights, ticket sales, and stadium commerce.
Skill Transfer: The game's sophisticated simulation allows players to "run" plays and learn formations, providing a basic, virtual understanding of offensive and defensive strategies that was previously inaccessible to casual fans.

📊 Summary of Transformation

The rise of Madden is a key component of football's evolution from a purely local, in-person community activity to a global, digital entertainment franchise built on licensed intellectual property.

MADDEN

Physical:

Attending high school/college games, tailgating, local community events.

Digital:

Playing the video game, following online discussions, consuming content.

Knowledge Base

Observational:

Relying on broadcast commentary and written analysis

.Interactive:

Learning formations and strategies by playing the simulation.

Community Locus-Geographic: Small towns, cities, stadiums ("Friday night lights").

Virtual: Online competitive leagues, social media, global fanbase.

Economic DriverDirect spending (tickets, concessions, local bars/restaurants).Licensing and Digital Sales (game purchases, in-game transactions) + continued direct spending.

The historical roots of community bonding and economic upliftment remain, but Madden introduced a powerful digital layer that significantly expanded the sport's reach and fan analytical literacy.

We can also research the actual financial data on how much the Madden NFL franchise has generated in revenue compared to the NFL's total revenue growth since 1988?

NFL Super Bowl XIV Champion Joe Harris Champions Atlanta Youth with “Will to Win Foundation”

By W. Calvin Anderson, MS. ED. — Will To Win Development Consultant

ATLANTA, GA — The Will to Win Foundation, Inc. was established in 2020 by legendary NFL Super Bowl XIV Champion Joe Harris, a former Georgia Tech standout and professional athlete with the Baltimore Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, and San Francisco 49ers. The Foundation has emerged as a vital resource and support system for youth, students, and athletes across metro Atlanta and the State of Georgia.

Inspired by Joe Harris’s enduring work ethic and societal commitment, the Will to Win Foundation is a youth enrichment organization focused on educational advancement, sports-literacy, and community resilience. Having provided youth sports and fitness development services in metro Atlanta for decades, Harris’s vision is to uplift at-risk youth and families confronting the compounded challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health constraints, and social unrest.

The Foundation’s flagship program, “Sport’s-literacy, Fitness & Fun Summer Camp Experience: Get Closer to College & The Pros!” offers a dynamic three-week summer camp for sports-talented youth ages 14 to 17. The program delivers academic support, mentorship, and pathways to higher education and professional sports, empowering participants to develop their skills, self-confidence, and leadership potential.

Recent upheaval in public health, education, and community safety—compounded by incidents such as increased Atlanta homicide rates and the loss of reliable school and enrichment environments—have underscored the need for innovative, targeted intervention. The Will to Win Foundation provides direct services, including mentoring, counseling, drug abuse prevention, and holistic sports education, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of Black and Hispanic males, who are among Georgia’s highest at-risk student populations according to the Governor’s Office Report (GOSA).

The Foundation supports youth and families in developing scholar-athletes with supplemental academic, emotional, and physical health support. Through advocacy, mission-based partnerships, and hands-on programming, the Will to Win Foundation works to address attendance and discipline, academic underperformance, and the broader array of socio-economic challenges faced by youth in Atlanta.

Joe Harris, renowned for his resilience and “give-back” mentality throughout his NFL career, now extends his legacy to serve the community. “The Will to Win Foundation is about unlocking every young person’s full potential—athletically, academically, and personally. We support, guide, and inspire youth to rise above circumstance and ‘win’ in life, not just in sports.”

For inquiries, partnerships, and support:

Will to Win Foundation, Inc.

Joeharris51@hotmail.com

Press contact:

W. Calvin Anderson, MS. ED.

Will To Win Development Consultant

wcalvinanderson@gmail.com