Hedgecock attended Ledford Senior High School in Thomasville, North Carolina and was a student and a letterman in football, basketball and track & field.
He also was a three-time All-County and All-Conference selection (tight end as sophomore and fullback as junior and senior).
He returned to fullback position for his senior season in 2004 after playing defensive end as sophomore and junior.
[2] John Bunting, a former Rams assistant who was Hedgecock's head coach at North Carolina, said the nickname was "Suitable.
[5] Hedgecock spent his first two professional seasons with the St. Louis Rams after being selected in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft.
In what the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called "rapid improvement" he beat out veteran Joey Goodspeed for the fullback position for the Rams.
Rams running back coach Wilbert Montgomery added, "I like his attitude, he's a nasty kid.
"[3] Hedgecock was the lead blocker of Steven Jackson's stellar 2006 season despite being slowed by injuries.
[9] 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.
One veteran NFC scout told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Steven Jackson's one of the two, three best guys in the whole league.
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 Rams' then-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.,[11] Owens never played another down in the NFL following his brief 14-game stint with St. Louis.
[12] At the time, the Giants were seeking a replacement for seven-year veteran Jim Finn, who had been placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
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.
"[13] The New York Daily News called Hedgecock an "unsung hero" on the Giants championship team.
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."
Former Eagles assistant coach Mike Kelly said, "For straight-ahead power football, this is clinic tape.
"[16] "Madison's arrival was very important and he has given us a physical presence at that position," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said.
And he’s done an outstanding job on special teams on the wedge on kickoff returns and has brought physical toughness to our team.” [18] Hedgecock started at fullback for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
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.
[19] “The head coach brought in a player that he’d had in college,” Hedgecock told St. Louis radio station KSLG.
[22] 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.
[23][24] 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 receiver with soft hands who runs good routes.
"[25] 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.
"[26] 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.
"[29] Hedgecock's impressive run blocking led to 1,000 rushing yards for both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward during the 2008 NFL season.
In addition, Madison hosts an annual summer football camp for children ages 7–18 at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.