NFL hero and Hall of Fame coach John Madden dies at the age of 85

12/29/2021

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American Football legend and Hall of Fame coach John Madden passed away at the age of 85, the NFL have confirmed.

A statement from the National Football League said that the famed NFL coach and commentator died "unexpectedly" on Tuesday morning.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell paid tribute to Madden with a statement bidding farewell to NFL's most recognised figure.

”Nobody loved football more than Coach," Goodell said in a statement.

"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.”

Madden started his career as an assistant coach in 1960 after playing with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1958 as an off-season player and practice squad member.

He went on to coach the Oakland Raiders — before their relocation and rebranding as Las Vegas — to their first Super Bowl victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1977.

He was officially inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2006.

Later on in his life, the NFL legend became a household name as a TV analyst after retiring from coaching.

He was became renowned as the voice behind the microphone of the popular Madden video game franchise, which is release annually to mark the new NFL season.

Since its first release in 1988, the game — developed by Electronic Arts — has sold over 250 million copies.

According to TMZ, the gaming franchise is worth around $4billion (£2.9bn).

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