The NFL community lost one of their most beloved football commentators and former professional coach John Madden. He passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, for what the public still knows to be caused by unspecified reasons; he died in his home located in Pleasanton, California. Madden was launched into the NFL back in 1958 when he was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles as a 21st-round draft pick. Unfortunately, the young athlete was never able to follow through with his athletic dreams to play a professional NFL game due to a serious knee injury that prevented him from playing another football game.
As they say, ‘when a door closes, a window opens,’ and that is exactly what occurred for the legend himself. In 1969, Madden received his first job offer to coach the professional football team, the Las Vegas Raiders, which he undoubtedly accepted. He then proceeded to coach the Raiders for a total of 10 seasons leading them to eight playoff opportunities, seven division championships and even assisted in bringing their first World Championship back to Las Vegas in 1977.
Less than a year after his retirement as a head coach, he swiftly transitioned to the football commentating scene where he really made his mark on the community; he called almost every game from 1979-2009 before making the executive decision to hang up his jacket. Through that time Madden earned himself a plethora of well-deserved achievements such as a total of 16 Sports Emmy Awards for his various broadcast appearances on CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. Despite his unexpected and tragic death, it is transparent that John Madden lived his plentiful life to the fullest and refused to take “no” as an answer when his physical well-being refused to allow him back on the football field.