The NFL lost an all-time great today. John Earl Madden passed away unexpectedly at the 85-years-old. He was the head coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978. A stint that placed him directly on the sidelines, during road games, for iconic football plays like the "Immaculate Reception" against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the "Holy Roller" versus the San Diego Chargers.

With John Madden firmly at the helm, the Raiders franchise was commonly known in the sports media as the winningest team in professional sports (percentage-wise). They were also crowned the "Kings of Monday Night Football" because of the 18-2-1 record they boasted during their first 21 appearances on the primetime broadcast.  

In 1978 John Madden stepped away from the coaching profession due to health concerns stemming from an ulcer. As great as he was a head coach, many pundits have suggested he was an even greater on-air personality. His post-NFL career was followed by forty years as the leading sports commentator for CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC; during which time he won 16 Emmy Awards.  

John Madden will be forever revered by his colleagues in the NFL Hall Of Fame and coaches throughout the ranks of American football. As a head coach, his greatest contribution to the game may have been the way in which he developed a plethora of Hall of Fame players, including the NFL's only enshrined Punter, Ray Guy.

As a sports commentator, his signature soundbites like "Boom" were almost as legendary as his creation of the All-Madden Team. His handpicked roster of the most accomplished NFL players from every regular season.

The yearly honor became so renowned league-wide that it inspired the making of a video game called John Madden Football. A video game co-created by EA Sports that featured commentary from John Madden and his signature All-Madden football teams. 

As the years passed and an elderly John Madden slowly faded into retirement, the video game named after him became more important. Not only in the sports world but culturally. Today, it's primarily regarded as one of the greatest two-player video games ever.  

 Upon hearing the disheartening news of John Madden's passing, the Commissioner of the NFL chimed in to pay his respect to the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders. 

"Nobody loved football more than Coach," said Roger Goodell.

"He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others."

John Madden may have passed away this morning, but his legacy will continue in many forms.

Source: TMZ