Football coach and commentator John Madden has died at the age of 85. The National Football League (NFL) announced his passing on Tuesday but has not yet revealed the cause of death.
John Madden, a legend, has passed away at 85. pic.twitter.com/1moYjueROe
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 29, 2021
Madden was a Hall of Fame coach, leading the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl win in the 1976 season (Superbowl XI). He retired two seasons later and went into broadcasting, which is where he grew into a legend. Madden left football coaching largely because he had a fear of flying. Sports commentating was a natural fit. Madden’s blue-collar approach and funny, affable personality made him famous. Madden was known for his catchword “doink” while calling games.
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From there he became a pitchman as well. The video game “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most popular video games in American history, bears his name. He was also a best-selling author.
“People always ask, are you a coach or a broadcaster or a video game guy?” Madden said upon being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I’m a coach, always been a coach.”
“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated. “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.”
"Football has been my life, and it's given me so much."
Rest in peace to the legendary John Madden 🙏 pic.twitter.com/0XYD9FbXhF
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) December 29, 2021
“Players loved playing for him,” offensive lineman Art Shell stated. “He made it fun for us in camp and fun for us in the regular season. All he asked is that we be on time and play like hell when it was time to play.”
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