John Madden, Super Bowl-winning coach, commentator and the name behind Madden NFL dies aged 85
Tributes are being paid to the former Oakland Raiders coach-turned commentator who was a household name across the US.
Super Bowl-winning coach and sports broadcaster John Madden has died at the age of 85.
Madden was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for 10 NFL seasons, leading them to Super Bowl victory in 1977.
By the time he was 42, Madden was the youngest coach to reach 100 career regular-season victories - which he achieved in just 10 full seasons. He is still the coach with the most wins in Raiders history.
Following his retirement from coaching in 1979 due to a deteriorating ulcer condition and occupational burnout, Madden joined CBS as a summariser.
For three decades, Madden was a revered sports broadcaster and analyst, winning 16 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality and covering 11 Super Bowls between 1979-2009.
However, he is maybe best known for the Madden NFL series of football video games, published by EA Sports/Electronic Arts. It is also the only officially licensed National Football League (NFL) video game series and had sold more than 130 million copies by 2018. Despite Madden's retirement as a broadcaster in 2009, he still continued to lend his name and provide creative input to the series.
The NFL announced Madden's unexpected death on Tuesday and did not detail the cause.
In a statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Madden: "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 became a household name across the US for his football commentary.
“Thanksgiving and football. Some things just go together greatly.” - John Madden
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2021
(via @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/jWB1vidnbZ
Fellow veteran commentator Vin Scully expressed sadness over the news of Madden's death, tweeting: "One (of) the all-time greats, he showed me the ropes during our brief football partnership. He was always kind and delightful. He can now join his former partner, Pat Summerall, in calling Super Bowls in heaven."
In a statement, the Pro Football Hall of Fame said Madden's "relentless passion for the game and unique career will leave an indelible mark on the sport forever".
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones added: "I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden, and I know of no one who loved the game more."
Before I went into broadcasting with FOX Sports, Coach Andy Reid asked me to speak with John Madden. Mr. Madden’s advice to me was to just be myself. His words gave me the confidence to pursue this new career path. I thank Andy for suggesting and Mr. Madden for accepting my call. pic.twitter.com/2sZGdPscJX
— Michael Vick (@MichaelVick) December 29, 2021