John Madden, the NFL legend, died at the age of 85 on Tuesday, the league announced, noting his death was unexpected.
Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, stated Madden loved the game of football more than anyone else. He will be remembered for what he did to popularize the game of football and NFL in America.
John Madden knew football better than anybody else
Jim Potter, the president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, stated the entire football fraternity is mourning the death of Coach Maden.
According to him, few people had a more profound impact on the game of football, saying he was not only a coach on the field, but also a coach in life.
The NFL announces John Madden died unexpectedly Tuesday morning at the age of 85. pic.twitter.com/XOEYeRyYPd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 29, 2021
Potter further indicated millions of football fans worldwide loved Madden; many people are celebrating today for the man who united millions of people through the game of football.
Madden, who joined Oakland Raiders as a coach at the age of 33 in 1969, never had a losing season. He won almost 76 percent of his games. He ultimately led the team to a Super-Bowl win, after defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the 1976 season.
After doing wonders as a coach, Madden then joined broadcasting, which took his career to new heights. Throughout his broadcasting career, he won 16 Emmy Awards, while covering 11 Super Bowls from 1979 to 2009.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Madden also became famous, due to the best-selling video game, “Madden NFL Football,” which was named after him. This encouraged people to know him from “the video game guy” name.
Jerry Jones, the owner of Dallas Cowboys praised Madden, noted he could not recall anyone who impacted the NFL more than him, claiming he was a “larger than life” person.
Broadcasting took Madden’s career to new heights
After leaving the coaching field, Madden started broadcasting in 1979. He was afraid of flying, which prompted him to traverse the country by bus, logging more than 80,000 miles each year on his famous “Madden Cruiser.”
During his broadcasting career, he served many organizations, including CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC, from where he finally retired. His retirement encouraged many people to praise him, as he was regarded as a person with an incredible passion for the game.
Raiders praised him in a statement, mentioning he had an “immeasurable” extent of influence on and off the field. This allowed him to make the game popular more than anybody else.
It's worth more than a game ❤️ @EAMaddenNFL
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/BIQ4KnRUkC
— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2021
Calling him a “humble champion,” EA Sports, the franchise behind his widely popularized game of “Madden” stated he served the game for more than 50 years.
The franchise also asserted it is apologetic to Madden’s family and his millions of fans for the loss they suffered, as he will always be missed.
