Madison Hedgecock
Encyclopedia
Madison Smith Hedgecock (born August 27, 1981, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
) is a former American football
fullback
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at North Carolina
.
He has also played for the New York Giants
. A Second-team All-Pro
and a Pro Bowl
alternate in 2008
, Hedgecock earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
.
in Wallburg, North Carolina
and was a student and a letterman in football and track & field. On the grid iron Hedgecock played fullback, tight end, and linebacker. He rushed for 1,799 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games as senior and rushed for 3,673 yards and 44 touchdowns in High school career. he also was a three-time All-County and All-Conference selection (tight end as sophomore and fullback as junior and senior). Was named county offensive player of year in 1998 and 1999. Hedgecock was a Super Prep All-America and also earned honorable mention All-America from USA Today
and Prep Star All-Region. In track he competed in the 200 and 400 meters, hurdles, relays, and shot put and earned All-County and All-Conference honors in the shot put. He also played basketball at Ledford.
, fullback and defensive end
while at the University of North Carolina
, rushing for 130 yards (118 as a senior) and 2 touchdowns while also recording 83 tackles (8.5 for losses) and 1.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in his college career
. His best performances running the ball were a 10-carry, 69-yard performance in a 30-24 victory over archrival North Carolina State and a 10-carry, 36-yard game in a 31-28 upset of fourth-ranked Miami, both during his senior year. He played fullback during redshirt freshman year for Tar Heels. He returned to fullback position for his senior season (2004) after playing defensive end as sophomore and junior.
In 2003, as a junior, he played in all 12 games and started 11 at defensive end and made 55 tackles, 40 (solo) and 15 assists, six tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries. In his sophomore season (2002) he played in all 12 games—he was the starting fullback in the first six games of the year, but moved to defensive end for the final six contests after injuries depleted the Carolina defensive line and played both positions against Wake Forest. He had three rushes for 11 yards, caught two passes for 7 yards and made 21 total tackles (11 solo, 10 assists) with 2.5 for lossses.
Hedgecock was nicknamed "Mad Dog." "Probably because I used to pace a lot before a game" and "I like seeing people run over people," said Hedgecock, who in college once bent the facemask on his helmet while delivering a ferocious blow. John Bunting, a former Rams assistant who was Hedgecock's head coach at North Carolina said the nickname was "Suitable. He practices hard all the time, he runs around the field, he's the first to every drill. He's very energetic, very enthusiastic." Bunting moved Hedgecock to defensive end after his freshman season, then moved him back to fullback for his final season, as he had promised. Fullback was Hedgeock's preferred position and Bunting felt that his pro potential was there. Hedgecock graduated with a communications degree.
by The Sporting News
.
after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. Hedgecock's skills impressed his Rams coaches early, “He is a big hammer, a big lead blocker,” Martz said. “He fits into what we do in terms of running the football. He has nice soft hands and is a good receiver. These guys are so hard to find.” On July 15, 2005, Hedgecock signed a reported three-year $1.1 million contract. In what the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called "rapid improvement" he beat out veteran Joey Goodspeed
for the fullback position for the Rams. Goodspeed, who had held the job for two seasons, was released. About the competition Mike Martz
said, "It's a very healthy competition," Martz said. "The fullback position is kind of a lost art. It's just a brutal position. You've got to throw your body in there and just try to slam people. And those two guys, that's what they're about.
Madison has really stepped up and done a nice job" Martz added. "In what we do (at) that fullback position is really a tight end or be on the line of scrimmage or we flex him. We do so many things over there that for a rookie to come in and absorb that is pretty difficult to do. He struggled a bit for awhile. I think he really has a better understanding of what we are trying to do right now." Hedgecock said he had a slight advantage coming in because of the system he was in at North Carolina. "My college offense the fullback was similar to here. They do a lot of moving and shifting and changing assignments. I guess other offenses might be different. There are a lot of similarities to here."
The Rams reportedly liked Hedgecock's size were enamored with his devotion to lead blocking. "It can be a fun thing," said Hedgecock. "You see that tailback run for 100 yards, that's where I get my glory." Hedgecock filled that role according to interim head coach Joe Vitt
. "He's getting better every single game," Vitt said. "He kind of reminds me of "Moose" Johnston
. He's a force when he hits you." Rams running back coach Wilbert Montgomery
added, "I like his attitude, he's a nasty kid. Coming out of school, he was an animal, he won't back down from you." Hedgecock added, "Lead blocking never changes. You just go in there and murder somebody."
Hedgecock was the lead blocker of Steven Jackson
's stellar 2006 season despite being slowed by injuries. He sustain a high-ankle sprain in early August, 2006, and was "gimpy" for 3½ weeks of training camp. "It feels a lot better," Hedgecock reported. "It's loosened up some, and it's starting to get back toward 100 percent. I was running last week, and I think that really broke up a lot of the scar tissue and got the blood flowing through it. It really helped." Later in the season Hedgecock broke his thumb but continued to play in a Rams 30-28 loss to Seattle. He did not miss any games with that injury or another subsequent ankle sprain even though the broken thumb required in-season surgery. Through those injuries Hedgecock played well. One veteran NFC scout told the St. Lous Post-Dispatch "Steven Jackson's one of the two, three best guys in the whole league. He's got everything it takes . . . But when they need to put a guy in there to lead-block, Madison Hedgecock's as good as anybody." In addition to his lead blocking role, Hedgecock was among the Rams leaders in tackles on special teams in 2005 and 2006 and was voted the Rams Outstanding Special Teams player in 2005.
Hedgecock was released following the first game of the regular season in 2007 and was replaced on the roster by Richard Owens, a fullback-tight end hybrid who had ties to then Rams head coach Scott Linehan
from their time together with the Minnesota Vikings, as well a brief crossover as the University of Louisville. While Hedgecock was already regarded as one of the league's best pure blocking fullbacks., Owens never played another down in the NFL following his brief 14-game stint with St. Louis. Many saw the move as one of the most glaring examples of the ineptitude of Scott Linehan, particularly after Hedgecock signed with the Giants, played a key role in the running game during their Super Bowl winning season and signed a long-term contract extension.
, who had been placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He signed a five-year, $5.5 million contract extension with the Giants on November 10, 2007.
According to press accounts he was a major factor in the Giants' Super Bowl run. He was called by ESPN
"a key component for their sixth-rated rushing attack" and that he "stepped into the lineup and provided the Giants with the kind of lead-blocking fullback they needed." The New York Daily News
called Hedgecock an "unsung hero" on the Giants championship team. He was noted for his play against Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay. Against Tampa Bay, "Hedgecock manhandled linebacker Barrett Ruud
and running back Brandon Jacobs
followed him through a huge hole for an 8-yard touchdown that helped give the Giants a 14-7 lead." FOX announcer Joe Buck said on-air, "What were the Rams thinking letting this guy go?" during one of theTampa Bay playoff game.
Against Dallas, Hedgecock blocked two players on an Amani Toomer
touchdown in the first quarter and later delived a key lead block on Bradie James
on a Jacobs touchdown which drew raves from ESPN's Ron Jaworski
among others. ""This kid's been phenomenal," Jaworski said as Hedgecock planted linebacker Bradie James." Former Eagles assistant coach Mike Kelly said "For straight-ahead power football, this is clinic tape."
"Madison's arrival was very important and he has given us a physical presence at that position," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride
said. "He's not overwhelmed by being one-on-one with those linebackers. We're not a West Coast fullback. When you're at fullback, you're in there to block. Maybe we'll throw you the ball once in a while. He fits the definition of the position for us." “Excellent fit,” coach Tom Coughlin added. “A physical, lead-blocking fullback that has good hands and can be a factor in the play-action game. And he’s done an outstanding job on special teams on the wedge on kickoff returns and has brought physical toughness to our team.”
Hedgecock started at fullback for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
. Hedgecock had one reception for 3 yards as the Giants defeated the New England Patriots
17-14. He is also credited with giving head coach Tom Coughlin
the traditional 'Gatorade
bath'.
During the Super Bowl media blitz Hedgecock was critical of Rams head coach Scott Linehan
who was responsible for releasing him after Week one of the 2007 season. Hedgecock told a St. Louis radio station that Linehan was not well respected by many of the Rams players and was boring enough to put some players asleep. “The head coach brought in a player that he’d had in college,” Hedgecock told St. Louis radio station KSLG. Hedgecock also said about his release, “When you get fired, it’s a tough deal,” Hedgecock, the Giants’ fullback, said Wednesday after practice. “I didn’t think I did anything as a player to deserve it.” . . . “They could have at least brought in somebody that was good. He was the coach’s buddy. I don’t want to play for a buddy.”
On November 23, 2008, Hedgecock scored his first career touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals
in the form of a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning
. He was the lead blocker for two 1,000 yard rushers (Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward) for the 2008 New York Giants. With Hedgecock as the fullback the Giants rushed for over 2,500 yards and had a team rushing average of 5.0 yards a carry, both among the league leaders as the Giants ended with a 12-4 record. Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun wrote, "Ravens inside linebacker Bart Scott says one of the major keys to stopping the Giants' running game is to stop fullback Madison Hedgecock in the hole. That sounds like an easy task, but it isn't especially since Hedgecock weighs 266 pounds."
Hedgecock states that he is more concerned with the team doing well that personal honors and after the Giants had run for over 200 yards against the Eagles, Cowboys and Ravens in 2008 he reveled, "How many yards have we run the last three weeks?" Hedgecock said near his locker, a wad of tobacco caressing his gums, blue towel around his waist. Several hundred, someone answered. "None of those defenses playing us were pushovers."
After the 2008 season for the Giants, Hedgecock was voted as a First Alternate to the Pro Bowl and was a Second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. He also drew praise from Hall of Fame tackle Dan Dierdorf, "Hedgecock won't ever lead the NFL in rushing but he'll lead block for a lot a yards and he's a gifted recevier with soft hands who runs good routes." Hedgeock also was named to the Sports Illustrated All-Pro team by Peter King who quipped, "Not sure, but I think he's got an anvil in his pads."
Giant teammate, All-Pro Justin Tuck
told Pro Football Weekly
, "Madison plays with reckless abandon, his tolerance for pain is just phenomenal". One of the backs who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2008, Brandon Jacobs added, "He makes good blocks all the time and that's what we need from him, to come out and do his job and he does it really well." Jacobs added, "When he flattens a guy, that makes us jump. That gets me excited when I see something like that, when he gets going with a full head of steam and then knocking somebody out. That's what he does, he puts people on their backs."
Said Hedgecock, "I just block. I just square my guys."
Hedgecock's impressive run blocking led to 1,000 rushing yards for both Brandon Jacobs
and Derrick Ward
during the 2008 NFL season
. In 2009 Hedgecock played the season with a torn labrum for which he had off-season surgery. The following season, 2010, he had a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve after only four games that season.
He was released by the Giants on July 28, 2011 due to failing his physical. Hedgecock stated his degenerative disc disease in his back would likely end his career, "I'm old and beat up," Hedgecock said. "If I keep playing, it's going to get worse and worse. My hamstring (2010 injury), was because of the back being out of whack." He also wished his replacement well, "Hopefully, they can get somebody else to do what I used to do. Maybe one of the younger guys will step up and do a good job there."
Hedgecock said he was contacted by one of his former head coaches (who coaches a team in the midwest) to see if he was physically able to play a role in blocking for a "consistent 1,500 rusher" but had to decline the invitation due to the severity of his back. He also heard from the head coach who once let him go, and "we burried the hatchet". "'He told me releasing me was as big a mistake as he made there and my replacement let him down'. "That made up for it and I never wish a man ill for things in that are in the past", said Hedgecock.
. He is also a NASCAR
fan and was seen in Richmond in early May. In addition, Madison hosts an annual summer football camp for children ages 7–18 at William Paterson University
in Wayne, New Jersey
.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
.
He has also played for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. A Second-team All-Pro
2008 All-Pro Team
The 2008 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press , Pro Football Writers Association , and Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 2008. These are the current teams that historically appear in Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the NFL...
and a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
alternate in 2008
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
, Hedgecock earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
Early years
Hedgecock attended Ledford Senior High SchoolLedford Senior High School
Ledford Senior High School is a public high school in Thomasville, North Carolina, located indirectly off of North Carolina Highway 109. It is part of the Davidson County Public School System and serves parts of High Point, Winston-Salem, Kernersville and Thomasville, North Carolina. The school's...
in Wallburg, North Carolina
Wallburg, North Carolina
Wallburg is a town in Davidson County, North Carolina. It is incorporated, but was never recognized as a CDP by the US Census prior to its incorporation in 2004...
and was a student and a letterman in football and track & field. On the grid iron Hedgecock played fullback, tight end, and linebacker. He rushed for 1,799 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games as senior and rushed for 3,673 yards and 44 touchdowns in High school career. he also was a three-time All-County and All-Conference selection (tight end as sophomore and fullback as junior and senior). Was named county offensive player of year in 1998 and 1999. Hedgecock was a Super Prep All-America and also earned honorable mention All-America from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
and Prep Star All-Region. In track he competed in the 200 and 400 meters, hurdles, relays, and shot put and earned All-County and All-Conference honors in the shot put. He also played basketball at Ledford.
College career
A versatile athlete, Hedgecock played running backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, fullback and defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
while at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, rushing for 130 yards (118 as a senior) and 2 touchdowns while also recording 83 tackles (8.5 for losses) and 1.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in his college career
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. His best performances running the ball were a 10-carry, 69-yard performance in a 30-24 victory over archrival North Carolina State and a 10-carry, 36-yard game in a 31-28 upset of fourth-ranked Miami, both during his senior year. He played fullback during redshirt freshman year for Tar Heels. He returned to fullback position for his senior season (2004) after playing defensive end as sophomore and junior.
In 2003, as a junior, he played in all 12 games and started 11 at defensive end and made 55 tackles, 40 (solo) and 15 assists, six tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries. In his sophomore season (2002) he played in all 12 games—he was the starting fullback in the first six games of the year, but moved to defensive end for the final six contests after injuries depleted the Carolina defensive line and played both positions against Wake Forest. He had three rushes for 11 yards, caught two passes for 7 yards and made 21 total tackles (11 solo, 10 assists) with 2.5 for lossses.
Hedgecock was nicknamed "Mad Dog." "Probably because I used to pace a lot before a game" and "I like seeing people run over people," said Hedgecock, who in college once bent the facemask on his helmet while delivering a ferocious blow. John Bunting, a former Rams assistant who was Hedgecock's head coach at North Carolina said the nickname was "Suitable. He practices hard all the time, he runs around the field, he's the first to every drill. He's very energetic, very enthusiastic." Bunting moved Hedgecock to defensive end after his freshman season, then moved him back to fullback for his final season, as he had promised. Fullback was Hedgeock's preferred position and Bunting felt that his pro potential was there. Hedgecock graduated with a communications degree.
Pre-draft
His 440-pound bench press, 630-pound back squat, 385-pound power clean are UNC records for a fullback. He was called the "best blocking back" in the ACCAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
.
St. Louis Rams
Hedgecock spent his first two professional seasons with the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. Hedgecock's skills impressed his Rams coaches early, “He is a big hammer, a big lead blocker,” Martz said. “He fits into what we do in terms of running the football. He has nice soft hands and is a good receiver. These guys are so hard to find.” On July 15, 2005, Hedgecock signed a reported three-year $1.1 million contract. In what the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called "rapid improvement" he beat out veteran Joey Goodspeed
Joey Goodspeed
Joseph Allen Goodspeed is an NFL fullback who last played for the Minnesota Vikings. In the Vikings' 2006 mini-camp, he tore his ACL and was on injured reserve for the 2006 NFL season...
for the fullback position for the Rams. Goodspeed, who had held the job for two seasons, was released. About the competition Mike Martz
Mike Martz
Michael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
said, "It's a very healthy competition," Martz said. "The fullback position is kind of a lost art. It's just a brutal position. You've got to throw your body in there and just try to slam people. And those two guys, that's what they're about.
Madison has really stepped up and done a nice job" Martz added. "In what we do (at) that fullback position is really a tight end or be on the line of scrimmage or we flex him. We do so many things over there that for a rookie to come in and absorb that is pretty difficult to do. He struggled a bit for awhile. I think he really has a better understanding of what we are trying to do right now." Hedgecock said he had a slight advantage coming in because of the system he was in at North Carolina. "My college offense the fullback was similar to here. They do a lot of moving and shifting and changing assignments. I guess other offenses might be different. There are a lot of similarities to here."
The Rams reportedly liked Hedgecock's size were enamored with his devotion to lead blocking. "It can be a fun thing," said Hedgecock. "You see that tailback run for 100 yards, that's where I get my glory." Hedgecock filled that role according to interim head coach Joe Vitt
Joe Vitt
Joe Vitt is the linebackers coach and assistant head coach of the New Orleans Saints.Vitt played four seasons as a linebacker for Towson State near Baltimore, even though he was an undersized 5'10" and smallish 190 pounds...
. "He's getting better every single game," Vitt said. "He kind of reminds me of "Moose" Johnston
Daryl Johnston
Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:...
. He's a force when he hits you." Rams running back coach Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery is a former American football player in the National Football League for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions...
added, "I like his attitude, he's a nasty kid. Coming out of school, he was an animal, he won't back down from you." Hedgecock added, "Lead blocking never changes. You just go in there and murder somebody."
Hedgecock was the lead blocker of Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson
Steven Rashad Jackson is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University....
's stellar 2006 season despite being slowed by injuries. He sustain a high-ankle sprain in early August, 2006, and was "gimpy" for 3½ weeks of training camp. "It feels a lot better," Hedgecock reported. "It's loosened up some, and it's starting to get back toward 100 percent. I was running last week, and I think that really broke up a lot of the scar tissue and got the blood flowing through it. It really helped." Later in the season Hedgecock broke his thumb but continued to play in a Rams 30-28 loss to Seattle. He did not miss any games with that injury or another subsequent ankle sprain even though the broken thumb required in-season surgery. Through those injuries Hedgecock played well. One veteran NFC scout told the St. Lous Post-Dispatch "Steven Jackson's one of the two, three best guys in the whole league. He's got everything it takes . . . But when they need to put a guy in there to lead-block, Madison Hedgecock's as good as anybody." In addition to his lead blocking role, Hedgecock was among the Rams leaders in tackles on special teams in 2005 and 2006 and was voted the Rams Outstanding Special Teams player in 2005.
Hedgecock was released following the first game of the regular season in 2007 and was replaced on the roster by Richard Owens, a fullback-tight end hybrid who had ties to then Rams head coach Scott Linehan
Scott Linehan
Scott Thomas Linehan is an American football coach, currently the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was previously the head coach of the St...
from their time together with the Minnesota Vikings, as well a brief crossover as the University of Louisville. While Hedgecock was already regarded as one of the league's best pure blocking fullbacks., Owens never played another down in the NFL following his brief 14-game stint with St. Louis. Many saw the move as one of the most glaring examples of the ineptitude of Scott Linehan, particularly after Hedgecock signed with the Giants, played a key role in the running game during their Super Bowl winning season and signed a long-term contract extension.
New York Giants
Hedgecock was then claimed off waivers by the Giants on September 13, 2007. The Giants cut fullback Robert Douglas to make room for Hedgeock. At the time, the Giants were seeking a replacement for seven-year veteran Jim FinnJim Finn
James Finn, Jr. is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pennsylvania...
, who had been placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He signed a five-year, $5.5 million contract extension with the Giants on November 10, 2007.
According to press accounts he was a major factor in the Giants' Super Bowl run. He was called by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
"a key component for their sixth-rated rushing attack" and that he "stepped into the lineup and provided the Giants with the kind of lead-blocking fullback they needed." The New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
called Hedgecock an "unsung hero" on the Giants championship team. He was noted for his play against Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay. Against Tampa Bay, "Hedgecock manhandled linebacker Barrett Ruud
Barrett Ruud
Barrett James Ruud is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
and running back Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
followed him through a huge hole for an 8-yard touchdown that helped give the Giants a 14-7 lead." FOX announcer Joe Buck said on-air, "What were the Rams thinking letting this guy go?" during one of theTampa Bay playoff game.
Against Dallas, Hedgecock blocked two players on an Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer is a retired American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan, where he was a fan favorite.Toomer has also been a member of the Kansas...
touchdown in the first quarter and later delived a key lead block on Bradie James
Bradie James
Bradie Gene James is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-High school career :...
on a Jacobs touchdown which drew raves from ESPN's Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
among others. ""This kid's been phenomenal," Jaworski said as Hedgecock planted linebacker Bradie James." Former Eagles assistant coach Mike Kelly said "For straight-ahead power football, this is clinic tape."
"Madison's arrival was very important and he has given us a physical presence at that position," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride
Kevin Gilbride
Kevin Gilbride is an American football coach. Gilbride served as the San Diego Chargers head coach from 1997-1998. He went to Southern Connecticut State University, where he played both quarterback and tight end. He would later coach at his alma mater for five seasons starting in 1980 and compiled...
said. "He's not overwhelmed by being one-on-one with those linebackers. We're not a West Coast fullback. When you're at fullback, you're in there to block. Maybe we'll throw you the ball once in a while. He fits the definition of the position for us." “Excellent fit,” coach Tom Coughlin added. “A physical, lead-blocking fullback that has good hands and can be a factor in the play-action game. And he’s done an outstanding job on special teams on the wedge on kickoff returns and has brought physical toughness to our team.”
Hedgecock started at fullback for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. Hedgecock had one reception for 3 yards as the Giants defeated the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
17-14. He is also credited with giving head coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
the traditional 'Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
bath'.
During the Super Bowl media blitz Hedgecock was critical of Rams head coach Scott Linehan
Scott Linehan
Scott Thomas Linehan is an American football coach, currently the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was previously the head coach of the St...
who was responsible for releasing him after Week one of the 2007 season. Hedgecock told a St. Louis radio station that Linehan was not well respected by many of the Rams players and was boring enough to put some players asleep. “The head coach brought in a player that he’d had in college,” Hedgecock told St. Louis radio station KSLG. Hedgecock also said about his release, “When you get fired, it’s a tough deal,” Hedgecock, the Giants’ fullback, said Wednesday after practice. “I didn’t think I did anything as a player to deserve it.” . . . “They could have at least brought in somebody that was good. He was the coach’s buddy. I don’t want to play for a buddy.”
On November 23, 2008, Hedgecock scored his first career touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the form of a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
. He was the lead blocker for two 1,000 yard rushers (Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward) for the 2008 New York Giants. With Hedgecock as the fullback the Giants rushed for over 2,500 yards and had a team rushing average of 5.0 yards a carry, both among the league leaders as the Giants ended with a 12-4 record. Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun wrote, "Ravens inside linebacker Bart Scott says one of the major keys to stopping the Giants' running game is to stop fullback Madison Hedgecock in the hole. That sounds like an easy task, but it isn't especially since Hedgecock weighs 266 pounds."
Hedgecock states that he is more concerned with the team doing well that personal honors and after the Giants had run for over 200 yards against the Eagles, Cowboys and Ravens in 2008 he reveled, "How many yards have we run the last three weeks?" Hedgecock said near his locker, a wad of tobacco caressing his gums, blue towel around his waist. Several hundred, someone answered. "None of those defenses playing us were pushovers."
After the 2008 season for the Giants, Hedgecock was voted as a First Alternate to the Pro Bowl and was a Second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. He also drew praise from Hall of Fame tackle Dan Dierdorf, "Hedgecock won't ever lead the NFL in rushing but he'll lead block for a lot a yards and he's a gifted recevier with soft hands who runs good routes." Hedgeock also was named to the Sports Illustrated All-Pro team by Peter King who quipped, "Not sure, but I think he's got an anvil in his pads."
Giant teammate, All-Pro Justin Tuck
Justin Tuck
Justin Lee Tuck is an American football defensive end for the National Football League's New York Giants.A former standout defensive end for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Tuck currently plays in the National Football League for the New York Giants. His cousin Adalius Thomas was also a former...
told Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
, "Madison plays with reckless abandon, his tolerance for pain is just phenomenal". One of the backs who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2008, Brandon Jacobs added, "He makes good blocks all the time and that's what we need from him, to come out and do his job and he does it really well." Jacobs added, "When he flattens a guy, that makes us jump. That gets me excited when I see something like that, when he gets going with a full head of steam and then knocking somebody out. That's what he does, he puts people on their backs."
Said Hedgecock, "I just block. I just square my guys."
Hedgecock's impressive run blocking led to 1,000 rushing yards for both Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
and Derrick Ward
Derrick Ward
Derrick LaRon Ward is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State University and Ottawa University...
during the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
. In 2009 Hedgecock played the season with a torn labrum for which he had off-season surgery. The following season, 2010, he had a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve after only four games that season.
He was released by the Giants on July 28, 2011 due to failing his physical. Hedgecock stated his degenerative disc disease in his back would likely end his career, "I'm old and beat up," Hedgecock said. "If I keep playing, it's going to get worse and worse. My hamstring (2010 injury), was because of the back being out of whack." He also wished his replacement well, "Hopefully, they can get somebody else to do what I used to do. Maybe one of the younger guys will step up and do a good job there."
Hedgecock said he was contacted by one of his former head coaches (who coaches a team in the midwest) to see if he was physically able to play a role in blocking for a "consistent 1,500 rusher" but had to decline the invitation due to the severity of his back. He also heard from the head coach who once let him go, and "we burried the hatchet". "'He told me releasing me was as big a mistake as he made there and my replacement let him down'. "That made up for it and I never wish a man ill for things in that are in the past", said Hedgecock.
Personal
In his free time, Hedgecock enjoys farming and researching American history. He is particularly interested in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He is also a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
fan and was seen in Richmond in early May. In addition, Madison hosts an annual summer football camp for children ages 7–18 at William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
in Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
.