Known as one of the great personalities of the NFL, Madden gained prominence as a coach of the Oakland Raiders. (In the 1958 NFL draft, Madden was actually selected to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, but a knee injury ultimately prevented him from playing and he transitioned to coaching.) In 1969, just two years after he was named the Raiders’ linebacker coach, owner Al Davis promoted Madden to head coach at the ripe, old age of 32. Madden led the team to victory at the 1976 Super Bowl and brought them to seven AFC title games. During his decade there, the Raiders never had a losing record. “Who the heck names a guy 32 years old as a head coach? Al Davis did,” shared Madden in his speech when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. “But he not only named me head coach, he stood behind me and he helped me and he provided me with players, with great players… nine of the players are in the Hall of Fame.” Paying tribute to Madden, the Raiders tweeted after his passing, “The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary John Madden. Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popularity of professional football as Coach Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable.” After becoming one of the winningest coaches in NFL history, Madden retired from coaching at 42 to become a broadcaster. In the booth, Madden had a unique style and a gift for making the game accessible to just about anyone. Over nearly three decades, he was a fixture of every major network’s NFL coverage, including CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX. He also created the hugely successful video game franchise, Madden NFL Football. “Nobody loved football more than Coach,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “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 be forever indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.” Born in Austin, Minnesota, on April 10, 1936, Madden’s father was a mechanic. When inducted into the Hall of Fame, Madden reflected on how he achieved all his success he said, “I ride on the shoulders of hundreds of friends, coaches, players, colleagues, family.” And then he added, “I just say this, I thank you all very much. This has been the sweetest ride of ’em all.” Madden leaves behind his wife, Virginia, sons Mike and Joe and several grandchildren. Next, how many Super Bowls has Tom Brady won?
