John Madden, arguably the most influential figure in NFL history passed away on Tuesday, December 28th, 2021. Although 85 years old, Madden’s death was reported as unexpected.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued the following statement.
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families. We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”
Madden’s contributions to the NFL and game of football are beyond measurable. After a short NFL career as a practice squad player for the Philadephia Eagles, Madden found his calling as a football coach.
John Madden coaching career
He started at the bottom as an assistant coach for Allan Hancock College which is a community college in Santa Maria, California. After 3 years of that, he worked his way up to San Diego State until he got an opportunity to work with the Linebackers for the Oakland Raiders. In 1969, John Madden became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders.
He won coach of the year in his first year as head coach and won Superbowl XI in 1977. Madden coached until 1978 ending with a spectacular 112-39-7 All-Time record.
Life after coaching
Madden was just as impressive in his post-coaching career. He became the voice of the NFL and is known as one of the best sports broadcasters ever. He worked for every major network as he worked up until 2008.
In addition to broadcasting, Madden is also known for the Madden NFL video games by EA Sports. The franchise started in 1988 and still uses his name on their games today.
