Andy Reid, Chiefs Kingdom React to Death of John Madden

The NFL community lost a key member on Tuesday, December 28. Hall of fame coach, broadcaster, league icon, and the voice that kickstarted the Madden video game series, John Madden, died unexpectedly at the age of 85.

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who has spoken many times in the past about how much Madden has impacted him as a coach and man, shared his feeling about Madden’s passing.

“A part of all of us passed away today with the passing of John Madden,” Reid wrote in a statement released by the Chiefs. “He was loyal and dedicated to the game of football. He loved every aspect of the game. Myself and so many other coaches in the profession lost a teacher, friend, and confidant. John was a family man, a proud husband and father. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Virginia and his sons, Mike and Joe. He will be greatly missed.”

Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt also released a statement following the news of Madden’s passing.

“The NFL has lost a legend. John Madden was an icon of the game, and football would not be what it is today without his many contributions over his long career. Few men have had more of an impact on the game’s popularity and growth. Beyond his accomplishments as a Super Bowl winning head coach, John’s passion in the broadcast booth brought the game to life for millions of fans, and the Madden video games series introduced generations of new fans to the game. He will be dearly missed.”

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Players React to Madden’s Passing

Along with Reid and Hunt, several Chiefs players of the present and past took to Twitter to express their emotions regarding Madden’s passing.

“Rest In Peace to a Legend! Prayers to the Madden Family,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes wrote.

“RIP TO JOHN MADDEN,” wrote safety Tyrann Mathieu.

“R.I.P to John Madden, literally changed the game,” Jeff Allen wrote. His tweet was also retweeted by tight end Travis Kelce.

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Madden’s Impact on NFL Newcomers

This is a rare occasion in which you’ll find me using first person in one of my posts on Heavy. But it seems fitting in this situation in order to portray John Madden’s impact on people who are new to the NFL community.

Before I started watching and understanding the NFL, I was a video game junkie. Aside from Call of Duty, the game I used to obsess over was the Madden video games series. When I began playing the game, it wasn’t Cris Collinsworth in my ears like it is nowadays. It was John Madden.

While some fans poke fun at him for the supremely-obvious takes he would dish out occasionally while in the broadcast booth, Madden’s ability to simplify the game, especially when a user is in control of what happens on the football field in a video game, was extremely valuable to someone like me who didn’t understand what I was looking at when I first started learning about football. But his commentary, whether it be in the video game or on game day, will forever be stuck in my head, regardless of who has replaced him in the booth or in the video game.

For that I say, thank you, John. You helped me develop an unmatched love for the game of football, which I have now turned into a daily — but more importantly, healthy — fixation. That is something I will forever be grateful for.

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