NFL Legend John Madden Passes Away at 85

He was a Super Bowl winning coach for the Oakland Raiders, a legendary broadcaster, brand name for a billion dollar video game franchise, and NFL Hall of Famer. John Madden had a wonderful life; he passed away Tuesday. He was 85. 

Madden's influence on the game spans generations. He was, at the time of his hire in 1969, the youngest coach in the NFL when maverick Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis made him his head coach. Madden guided the Raiders for nine years, compiling an impressive 103 wins to 32 losses and seven ties. His Raiders won Super Bowl IX over the Minnesota Vikings  His overall winning percentage (regular season and postseason combined) ranks second in NFL history. 

 

After leaving the Raiders in 1978, Madden jumped into the broadcast booth, launching one of the most outstanding broadcasting careers his history. 

 

He eventually teamed up with Pat Summerall on CBS in 1981, forming an indelible duo that became the soundtrack of fall Sunday's for 21 seasons between CBS and FOX. Together Madden and Summerall broadcast nine Super Bowl's, were the voice for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys dynasty's of the 80's and 90's; and called games that featured many of the games most important and interesting personalities from Mike Ditka to Bill Parcells. Jimmy Johnson to Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman; Steve Young and Joe Montana,  Jerry Rice, to Brett Favre and Reggie White. They did them all.

 

If it was a big game, it was always going to be Madden and Summerall on the call. 

After Summerall retired following Super Bowl XXXVI, Madden left Fox for ABC's Monday Night Football where he would pair up with Al Michaels. Together Madden and Michaels spent seven seasons together working both Monday Night Football on ABC and Sunday Night Football on NBC. Together they had the calls of Super Bowl XXXVII between the Bucs and Raiders, Super Bowl XL between the Steelers and Seahawks and Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and Cardinals. 

 

In addition to being the most porminant game analyst in NFL history, Madden became a brand unto himself with the Madden video game franchise, which began as a desktop game in 1988 and soon boomed into a billion business some 30 years later. 

 

John Madden, NFL legend. He will be missed. Last week FOX hosted a special documentary on Madden's incredible life story. If you haven't seen it, see it. It's worth every second.