Football legend John Madden, who won a Super Bowl as coach of the Oakland Raiders then became a celebrated broadcaster and a video game icon, has died at age 85. The NFL announced that Madden died unexpectedly Tuesday morning according to NBC BAY AREA.
“Nobody loved football more than Coach,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “He was football. 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.”
NFL Announces the Passing of John Madden: https://t.co/1Ai58xq8oP pic.twitter.com/2avH6lS3nO
— NFL345 (@NFL345) December 29, 2021
In 1976, Madden’s Raiders went 13-1 in the regular season then went on to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI.
He retired at age 42 after the 1978 season, citing burnout and health issues. A fear of flying also made coaching more difficult.
