Mystery Behind John Madden Cause of Death: Legendary NFL Hall of Fame Coach Dead at 85

The NFL confirmed that the legendary Hall of Fame coach and announcer, John Madden, passed away at the age of 85.

In a press release, the National Football League announced his death Tuesday afternoon, December 28. 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," the statement read. The letter also emphasized that nobody loved football more than him, "He was football."

"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," it concluded. As of writing, no reports have disclosed what became the cause of Madden's death. However, as written on the immediately released statement, Madden died "unexpectedly."

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From Coaching Raiders To Broadcasting

According to Variety, Madden is widely known as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for ten seasons, winning the Super Bowl XI in 1976. Apart from that, he was a pillar of football coverage on television. After two years of coaching, in 1979, he ended his career with a 103-32-7 record. 

After finishing his job in the field, Madden decided to work in the television industry with "CBS Sports" the same year he retired as per source. In 1981, he partnered with Pat Summerall for NFL coverage on CBS. A few years later, in 1994, Madden and Summerall moved to Fox after Rupert Murdoch's Broadcasting Co. snagged the league's AFC rights package away from CBS.

He also scored an appearance as the analyst and color commentator for NBC's "Sunday Night Football" since 2006 for two years. Throughout his entire career, the broadcaster covered 11 Super Bowls across four networks from 1979 to 2009. As soon as the tragic news was spread online, fans and colleagues left their tributes addressing those who passed.

May his soul rest in peace.

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