On World Autism Awareness Day, ESPN’s NFL Live will present a special edition, uniquely shaped by the creativity of Madden Orlovsky, the son of ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky. Instead of the customary in-studio graphics, this show will feature hand-drawn artwork by Madden, who has autism, replacing all regular visuals.
Tim Farrell, the director of NFL Live, shared his excitement about this special segment, stating, “No matter what you’re seeing on the air, his drawings will be in the background. There won’t be one graphic in the entire studio that is what we would normally use on our show.” This initiative was inspired by a June video Dan shared on X, showcasing Madden’s drawings inspired by the Toy Story movie series.
Autism is his superpower, what’s yours?
We have a 12 year old son with Autism and he out of the blue created this ♥️♥️@toystory @Pixar @tomhanks pic.twitter.com/lIAamIINn3
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) June 5, 2024
Grateful for this opportunity, Dan Orlovsky shared his appreciation for Farrell and the ESPN team, expressing his excitement for the show on X, stating, “Really grateful and excited for today’s show.”
Really grateful and excited for todays show
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) April 2, 2025
Madden’s artwork on NFL Live not only showcases his artistic abilities, as seen in various past posts by Dan, but also serves as a message to parents of children with autism. His mother, Tiffany Orlovsky, hopes the show communicates that they are not alone and encourages parents to support and nurture their children’s unique passions. “You’re not alone,” she emphasized, “There are so many people out there that will support your child and support you. And don’t be ashamed. Because they really are so special and cool.”
In response to this uplifting news, several of Orlovsky’s NFL Live castmates, including Laura Rutledge and Mina Kimes, expressed their enthusiasm on social media regarding Madden’s feature on the show.
Tune into ESPN at 4. Today is going to be special 🩵 https://t.co/g0uy9tNUtA
— Laura Rutledge (@LauraRutledge) April 2, 2025
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/B6gF7Gswz7
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 2, 2025
