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John Madden, a legendary figure and Hall of Fame coach, another generation as the sport’s greatest announcer, and yet another generation for the video game that has his name, has died at the age of 85. The NFL announced Madden’s passing today.
Madden’s influence on the sport of football goes just beyond what he did on the field. Just on the field, he was the youngest head coach in pro football when Al Davis hired him to coach the Oakland Raiders, and he led them to a Super Bowl title while having so much success that he still has the all-time highest winning percentage among all coaches who won at least 100 games.
National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on the mater:
"Nobody loved football more than Coach," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Tuesday evening. "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."
John Madden may have been the single most influential person in the history of the sport of football.
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