What Happened to John Madden? Legendary NFL coach passes away aged 85

Legendary football coach and NFL broadcaster John Madden is no more. The former head coach of the Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas Raiders) passed away on Tuesday at the age of 85, the news of which was revealed by NFL. John Madden's name is attached to one of the best-selling sports video game series - Madden NFL, which began in 1988 as John Madden Football.

What happened to John Madden

According to the league, John Madden, who was 85, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, "On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families. We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather."

"Nobody loved football more than Coach. 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."

How did John Madden die

The cause of John Madden's death has not been disclosed so far. The Legendary NFL announcer and coach John Madden had undergone successful open-heart surgery to repair blockages back in 2015.

John Madden's career 

John Madden's career saw the NFL legend spend 10 seasons coaching the Raiders, during which the team had no losing seasons. He led the Raiders to the playoffs eight times. In January 1977, the team won Super Bowl XI, beating the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 under Madden's guidance.

Madden compiled a .759 winning percentage as the Raiders coach, the highest percentage in league history among coaches who have won 100 games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Madden provided commentary for NFL games for more than 20 seasons for FOX, CBS, ABC and NBC. He won 16 Emmys as Outstanding Sports Personality/Sport Event Analyst. In all, he covered 11 Super Bowls across four networks during his 1979-2009 run as a broadcaster and collected 16 Sports Emmy awards, as well as the lifetime achievement award in 2010. 

John Madden Quotes

• 'Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.'
   
• 'The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.'
   
• 'Don't worry about the horse being blind; just load the wagon'
   
• The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.'
   
• 'If a guy doesn't work hard and doesn't play well, he can't lead anything. All he is, is a talker.'