The NFL will hold a moment of silence before each week 17 NFL contest in honor of legendary coach and broadcaster John Madden. The NFL icon passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 85.
“As you know, the NFL lost a true giant on Tuesday with the passing of John Madden,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote earlier this week in a league memo. “To help honor his legacy, we ask that each home team in Week 17 observe a moment of silence in his memory just prior to the start of the game.”
The moment of silence will be held prior to the national anthem being played.
At the age of 32, Madden was hired by Raiders owner Al Davis in 1969. He would stay in this role for a decade, compiling an incredible record of 103-32-7. Madden’s winning percentage of .759 trails only Guy Chamberlain in the all-time record books. Chamberlain compiled a .783 winning percentage as head coach of the Canton Bulldogs from 1922-1927. Madden also won a Super Bowl with the Raiders in January 1977.
After retiring from coaching following the 1978 season, Madden soon entered the broadcast booth. He would go on to provide color commentary for NFL games from 1979 through 2009, winning 18 Sports Emmy awards in the process. Madden ultimately spent time with all four major networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.
From 1988 on, Madden lent his name, voice and input to the Madden Football video game series. According to Electronic Arts (EA) founder Trip Hawkins, Madden saw the series as a potential teaching tool for football. He was adamant that the game must include 11 players, or every position, as opposed to six or seven players, which was all technology could allow at the time. Madden refused to endorse the game until it included 11 players on each team.
The development of the game was then delayed for three years while the EA team worked to meet Madden’s request. Madden eventually endorsed the game and helped grow the iconic franchise to what it is today.
Remarkably, Madden passed away just days after watching the newly released “All Madden” documentary that documents the beloved NFL icon’s life.