Tom Brady, Julian Edelman Among Sports Stars To Pay Tribute To John Madden
BOSTON (CBS) -- The sports world lost an icon Tuesday night with the passing of Hall of Famer John Madden. The titan of football passed away at the age of 85.
Madden was a pioneer coach with the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, winning a Super Bowl in 1976, and his voice explained and broke down the game to generations on just about every network over his three-decade career as a broadcaster. And his video game franchise has brought a whole new generation -- and a whole new level of understanding -- to the game of football.
Madden's death sent shockwaves throughout the NFL and the sports world in general, with many current and former athletes taking to Twitter to honor the football legend. Patriots owner Robert Kraft released a statement shortly after Madden's passing was announced.
"I can't think of a more iconic football personality over the past half century than John Madden," Kraft said in his statement.
Madden called 11 Super Bowls on four different networks during his career in the booth from 1979-2009. He was on the call for New England's first Super Bowl victory, when Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Brady remembered Madden on his Instagram story on Tuesday night.
"John called our first Super Bowl. He was always so good to me. RIP to a legend of our game," Brady wrote. "My condolences and love to the Madden family."
Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman wrote: "When you think of NFL football, you think of John Madden."
Several current stars of the NFL shared their thoughts on Madden, including Patrick Mahomes, Cooper Kupp, Myles Garrett and J.J. Watt:
Some of those who were lucky enough to grace the cover of Madden's video game shared their cover, and explained the honor that went with it:
NBA superstar LeBron James also Tweeted about Madden's passing, calling him the GOAT.
And even comedian Frank Caliendo, who has the best Madden impression out there, expressed his sadness over Madden's passing.
Expect several tributes to Madden throughout the NFL this weekend.
