Legendary NFL figure John Madden dies at 85

by Seth Udinski

Seth Udinski, FISM News

 

On Tuesday morning, the NFL lost one of most impactful and beloved figures. John Madden, former coach of the Oakland Raiders and a beloved NFL broadcaster, died Tuesday morning. He was 85 years old.

Madden was a legendary figure in multiple roles, and it is difficult to determine where his impact was most profound. He played offensive line briefly in the NFL but gained notoriety as the head coach of the then-Oakland Raiders for ten years. He led the franchise to its first Super Bowl win in 1976 and helped turn the Raiders into one of the premiere NFL powerhouses in the 1970s. He had a brilliant regular season career record of 103-32-7.

Madden may be better remembered by younger fans as a passionate broadcaster, who brought a jovial love for the game to the microphone. For roughly 30 years, he worked as a color commentator alongside several high-profile play-by-play anchors, including Al Michaels and the late Pat Summerall. He called some of the most important games in NFL history. His colorful language and iconic use of the word “Boom!” after a big play made him a household name among NFL fans young and old.

He is also known by younger fans as the centerpiece for the most popular football video game series in the United States. The Madden NFL video game series, produced by EA Sports, has sold millions of copies since its first installment, John Madden Football, was released for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation in 1998.

On Christmas Day, only three days before his death, Fox released a much-anticipated documentary on Madden’s impact in the NFL called “All Madden.”

Reports indicate that Madden’s death was unexpected. He is survived by wife Virginia, with whom he’d been married for over 62 years, and two sons Joseph and Michael.

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