Legendary coach, broadcaster and video game pioneer John Madden died on Tuesday at the age of 85. A statement from the NFL said he passed away "unexpectedly."
He is survived by his wife, Virginia, and sons, Mike and Joe.
"Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. 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."
Madden coached the Oakland Raiders for nearly a decade and won Super Bowl XI in 1977. His 103-32-7 regular season record is one of the best in NFL history. He helped build the villainous image of the Raiders that eventually led to Al Davis' infamous statement, "Just win, baby." He was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2006.
"The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary John Madden," the Raiders said in a statement. "Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popularity of professional football as Coach Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable."
After retiring from the sidelines, he moved up to the broadcast booth where his voice and quirky ad-libs like "Boom!" were beloved by fans for decades. He worked for CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC, helping popularize "Monday Night Football" and "Sunday Night Football." He won 16 Emmy Awards in his career.
Madden also was the face of the EA Sports football game, "John Madden Football," later simply known as "Madden." The series started in 1988 and featured the affable icon on its cover until 2000 when the franchise selected the best players from the league to grace the cover, starting with Titans running back Eddie George. The honor quickly turned into the "Madden Curse" as those chosen for the cover often performed poorly following the release of the game. Regardless, the game remains a best-seller because of its integration of music, personality and top-of-the-line graphics.