NFL media mourns loss of iconic John Madden
By Scott Rogust
The NFL media world reacted to the passing of legendary head coach John Madden on Tuesday.
The football world lost a legend on Tuesday. John Madden, former Raiders head coach and color commentator John Madden, unexpectedly passed away at the age of 85. The NFL announced the news on Tuesday evening.
As the news began circulating across all social media platforms, members of the NFL media world shared their thoughts and memories of the iconic Madden.
Legend.
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) December 29, 2021
RIP John Madden pic.twitter.com/I41YsBatOY
John Madden was as instrumental to the growth of pro football the last half century as absolutely anyone. His love for the game was infectious, his commentary insightful, his personality larger than life. And he was a hell of a coach. RIP Coach, thanks for a lifetime of Sundays. pic.twitter.com/Elq2lQJA2z
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) December 29, 2021
When John Madden called your game, you knew it was important.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) December 29, 2021
But no one made the game more fun. I am going to miss him so much.
So saddened by the news of the passing of Raiders legend & HOF John Madden. He meant so much to the game of football & the entire NFL. He was so helpful to me & so many others who took up broadcasting after playing. There will never be anyone like Coach Madden! #GREATEST!
— Rich Gannon (@RichGannon12) December 29, 2021
John Madden is the NFL. You cannot tell the story of its rise without tracing it through him. A true face of the league and an ambassador for football and a universally beloved figure. RIP
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 29, 2021
John Madden's three rules for his players:
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) December 29, 2021
1. Be on time.
2. Pay attention.
3. Play like all hell when I tell you to.
John Madden passed away this morning, per the NFL.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 29, 2021
An absolute legend. Hard to imagine anyone having a bigger, more wide-ranging impact on football. He was 85.
John Madden has died at the age of 85. Known to one generation as a Hall of Fame coach, another as the greatest broadcaster ever, and yet another for the video game that bore his name. A football legend. An American original.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 29, 2021
Hall of Fame coach John Madden passes away at 85
Madden received his first professional head coaching gig with the Raiders back in 1969, and there has never been a tenure more successful in terms of wins. Of course, there is the 1976 team that went 13-1 in the regular-season, where they went on to win Super Bowl 11 by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 32-14.
In his 10-years at the helm, Madden held a 103-32-7 record, giving him a win-percentage of 75.9. This is the highest win percentage of any head coach in a minimum of 100 games. Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
After his time as a head coach reached its end, Madden then began his broadcasting career in 1979. He was a fan favorite in the booth alongside the likes of Pat Summerall and Al Michaels. The last game he called was Super Bowl 43 in 2009, where the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 after a game-winning touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes with 35-seconds remaining in regulation.
Madden won 16 Emmy awards during his broadcasting career that spanned almost 30 years.
Whether you knew him from his coaching career, his time as a broadcaster or for his name being in the title of the popular EA Sports video game, Madden was known by many and will be greatly missed.
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