JOHN Madden is being honored on Sunday night football, as NFL stars pay tribute to the icon after he passed away at 85.
Fellow broadcasters honored the football legend by wearing custom jackets with an "All-Madden" path above the heart, per USA Today, and the NFL logo on the screen featured Madden's silhouette.
Additionally, all NFL games began with a moment of silence in his honor.
Madden had watched a documentary about himself with his family just days before his death.
He watched the FOX Sports documentary "All Madden" with his family and friends over Christmas, director Joel Santos told USA Today Sports.
"John asked to see it," Santos told the outlet during a joint interview with fellow director Tom Rinaldi on Wednesday. "It was our wish to make it a gift for him and his family on Christmas Day."
Plus, the Las Vegas Raiders released a statement after the NFL coach passed away on Tuesday, December 28 at the age of 85. "The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary John Madden," the team, now based in Las Vegas after decades in Oakland, said.
"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."
The NFL also released an emotional statement about Madden but did not release a cause of death.
Madden became the youngest head coach in pro football when he was hired to coach the Raiders, leading them to victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI and finishing his career with a 103-32-7 record.
Read our John Madden live blog for the latest updates…
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When did the Madden game come out?
The “Madden NFL” video game first donned Madden’s name and persona in 1988.
The franchise skyrocketed to success with eSports leagues now developed around the game.
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NFL held moment of silence
The NFL held a moment of silence on Sunday for John Madden across every NFL stadium in the country.
John Madden was a sports commentator from 1979 to 2008.
He was known for his quick wit and ability to dissect plays, adding his patented “Boom!” where necessary, Fox News reported.
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When did Madden die?
In a statement by the National Football League on December 28, John Madden’s death was called “unexpected.”
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
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Namesake of famous game franchise
John Madden became the youngest head coach in pro football when he was hired to coach the Raiders, leading them to victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI and finished his career with a 103-32-7 record.
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Players honoring Madden
Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills is wearing cleats honoring the late John Madden during Sunday night football.
For millions of Americans Hall of Fame coach John Madden was the face of football.
The Superbowl winner became synonymous from the EA Sports game named after him and enjoyed a 30-year TV career.
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All Madden documentary
All Madden is a brand new documentary highlighting Madden’s illustrious career as an NFL head coach and also as a broadcaster.
Madden was the youngest coach when he was hired by the Oakland Raiders, and then proceeded to accumulate a 103-32-7 record in his 10 seasons with the team.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a head coach in 2006.
Throughout his career as a broadcaster, Madden worked for all four major networks and won 16 Emmy awards for his work.
Madden himself is featured throughout, with ESPN reporting that the interviews in the documentary were filmed just this year.
The 90-minute film can be streamed on Peacock from midnight on December 29 and will remain on the platform for three months, according to NBC.
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When did Madden play in the NFL?
John Madden was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 21st round of the 1958 draft.
He only made it to training camp before a knee injury ended his career, CBS Sports reported.
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Tom Brady’s tribute to Madden
NFL star Tom Brady took to Instagram on Tuesday to honor John Madden’s life.
“John called our first Super Bowl,” Brady wrote. “He was always so good to me. RIP to a legend of our game. My condolences and love to the Madden family.”
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Three-decade career
Madden wore multiple hats throughout his career.
After his career as a Hall of Fame coach ended, he moved over to broadcasting.
His broadcasts provided a weekly soundtrack covering NFL games for over three decades.
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Who is John Madden’s wife?
At the time of his death, John had been married to his wife Virginia Fields for 62 years.
The couple first tied the knot on December 26, 1959, in a marriage ceremony that took place inside the St Mary of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria.
According to reports, they first met in a bar in Pismo Beach, California.
Although little is known about Virginia’s career, it is believed that she was responsible for taking care of various antiques that the family owned.
Those items reportedly included a highway YIELD sign, which Ted Hendricks, the three-time-All-America linebacker, gifted to Madden when he retired.
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NFL Commissioner’s statement
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote of John Madden‘s death:
“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.”
Goodell continued, “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.”
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Madden known as broadcast icon
John Madden served as a leading color analyst for all four major television networks, CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC.
“His work on Monday Night Football, the inception of the annual All-Madden Team and his role in the Madden NFL series of video games made the Madden name synonymous with pro football,” the Raiders wrote in a statement about his death.
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Watch Madden’s highlights
SportsCenter honored the broadcast legend with a clip of Madden’s best moments on the job.
“A legend in all forms of the game,” said the sports outlet about Madden, who passed away this week.
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What was John Madden’s cause of death?
The cause of Madden’s death is unknown at this time.
In a statement by the National Football League, his death was called “unexpected.”
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“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.”
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Memories of Madden, continued
Machota also shared a clip of Madden talking about his favorite place to eat, Coppell Deli.
Madden is heard describing why he loves the sandwiches so much.
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Memories of Madden
Colleagues, fans, and journalists are sharing some of their favorite memories of John Madden.
Reporter Jon Machota shared a clip of Madden calling an NFL game, saying he was “the absolute best.”
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Madden felt he ‘had to’ retire
John Madden’s wife, Virginia Madden, explained in a new documentary about him that she took the couple’s two children – Joe and Michael – out of school when Madden’s retirement was announced.
“He was crying. I was crying. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but I think he knew he had to,” she said in All Madden, a documentary by directors Tom Rinaldi and Joel Santos, according to USA Today.
“I told him, ‘John we don’t need football. We need you,'” she added.
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More tributes to the legend
“RIP to an incredible man and coach, John Madden. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and Raider Nation,” former running back Jerome Bettis wrote after John Madden’s death.
“I was saddened to hear about the passing of John Madden, at age 85. One the all-time greats, he showed me the ropes during our brief football partnership. He was always kind and delightful. He can now join his former partner, Pat Summerall, in calling Super Bowls in heaven,” sportscaster Vin Scully said.
“Rest in Paradise To the John Madden!!!! Your legacy will continue to live on !!!!!” NBA star LeBron James said on Twitter.
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What was John Madden’s net worth?
Celebrity Net Worth states that John Madden’s net worth is $200million.
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The NFL turkey leg award
Madden started the turkey leg tradition in the 1989 Thanksgiving game between the Eagles and the Cowboys, Sporting News reported.
Madden decided the MVP should get a turkey leg as a reward for their performance.
Eagles linebacker Reggie White was the first to receive the award.
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Moment of silence
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is asking all home teams to observe a moment of silence in memory of John Madden in Week 17, a memo shared by a reporter on Twitter noted.
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Time as an NFL coach
John Madden coached the Raiders from 1969 to 1978.
He never had a losing season and still has the most wins among all Raiders coaches, Fox News reported.
He retired from coaching because of a health issue and burnout from the job, according to the news outlet.
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Madden saw himself as a coach
For Madden – who died aged 85 on Tuesday morning – he was always a coach first.
“People always ask, are you a coach or a broadcaster or a video game guy” said Madden when he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of fame.
“I’m a coach, always been a coach.”
In that role he became the youngest head coach in pro football when he was hired to coach the Raiders, leading them to victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI and finished his career with a 103-32-7 record.
And he has the all-time highest winning percentage among all coaches who won at least 100 games.
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Where else did Madden coach?
Madden’s first coaching job was in 1960, at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California.
He was promoted to head coach of the community college football team after two years as an assistant, then coached for San Diego State from 1964-1966.
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What was John Madden’s cause of death?
The cause of Madden’s death is unknown at this time.
In a statement by the National Football League, his death was called “unexpected.”
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“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.”
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