The sudden loss of John Madden on Tuesday shocked the NFL community, with many taking to social media in an outpouring of respect for one of the league’s most beloved characters. Madden’s fingerprints are all over the modern game of football, and his name is among the sport’s most iconic touchstones recognizable to multiple generations of fans.
Some remember him best as a coach of the Oakland Raiders from the late-60s to late-70s, others as one of the most recognizable voices ever to grace the broadcasting booth, one that he so capably manned with Pat Summerall and Al Michaels for nearly 40 years.
His eponymous video game franchise made Madden a staple of every fan’s childhood since the 90s and did more to grow the sport than any other single factor ever could. The incalculable loss of such a titan has echoed around the league in the wake of the news of his death, with several Chiefs players of past and present commenting on his death after the news broke.
Here are some of the tributes that were posted to Twitter following the NFL’s announcement of Madden’s death:
