John Madden, the legendary NFL coach, television broadcaster, and namesake of the popular football video game franchise, has died at the age of 85.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, the NFL said Madden passed away “unexpectedly” earlier in the day. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Madden coached the Oakland Raiders between 1969 and 1978. Under his tenure, the Raiders went to the playoffs nine times and won Super Bowl XI in 1977. In 2016, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments with the Raiders.
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In 1979, Madden transitioned into television as a color commentator and analyst. Over the course of his four decade career as a broadcaster, Madden worked for all four major television networks, covered 11 Super Bowls, and won 16 Emmy Awards.
To a younger generation, Madden was most synonymous as the namesake of EA Sports’ NFL video game franchise. He lent his name and voice to series beginning in 1988, and remained a creative consultant even after his retirement from the broadcast booth in 2009.
Madden’s parlayed his football celebrity into cameos in films including Christine, Little Giants, and The Replacements, and television series like The Simpsons. He hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1982, and even appeared in music videos for U2’s “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” and Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.”
NFL legend John Madden died unexpected this morning. He was 85. pic.twitter.com/FoC1mAzoF6
Advertisement— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 29, 2021