You might not believe in divine intervention, but Sam Madden and his family certainly do.
It's the only way this close-knit Christian family from New Jersey can explain all the unexpected events that led not only to Madden being at the University of Georgia on a football scholarship, but the entire family now residing in the state as well.
Madden never expected to be at Georgia. He never expected to be anywhere but Madison, Wis.
His whole family has been Wisconsin fans since John Moffitt, Sam’s cousin, began playing there in 2006. Moffitt became a first-team All-American for the Badgers as an offensive guard and was an NFL third-round draft pick in 2011.
» Editor's Note: This is part of a weekly series looking at Georgia football's incoming class | Previously: Roquan Smith
Madden planned to follow in Moffitt’s footsteps.
Wisconsin offered him as a junior, he accepted, destiny was fulfilled.
“They said, ‘you’re our guy, we want you, don’t take any more official visits,’” said Sam’s father, Dave Madden, a towering man himself at nearly 6-7. “He loved the place and it was up to him and we all liked it. So he told them, ‘This is where I want to go.’ So he took no more visits.”
End of story. Or so they thought.
» Follow Madden's trek from New Jersey to Georgia on MyAJC.com
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