John Madden

John Madden, seen here in a 2006 file photo, announced on Thursday, April 16, 2009, that he is calling it quits. The burly former coach has been one of pro football's most popular broadcast analysts for three decades. His last telecast was the 2008 Super Bowl between Arizona and Pittsburgh.

In this Aug. 5, 2006 file photo, former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden gestures toward his bust during his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. "You know at some point you have to do this - I got to that point," he said on April 16, 2009, upon announcing his retirement. "But I enjoyed it so damn much."

The 2006 NFL Hall of Fame inductees included, from left, Troy Aikman, John Madden, Sara White, widow of Reggie White, Warren Moon and Rayfield Wright, seen here in a photo taken in Detroit on Feb. 4, 2006. Madden began his pro football career as a linebacker coach with the Oakland Raiders in 1967 and was named head coach two years later. At 33, he was the youngest coach in what was then the American Football League.

From left, NBC "Sunday Night Football" commentators Al Michaels and John Madden in a 2006 file photo. Madden provided his insight and commentary on the show for the past three seasons. NBC sports chief Dick Ebersol called Madden "absolutely the best sports broadcaster who ever lived."

In this Feb. 3, 2002 photo, Fox broadcasters Pat Summerall, left, and John Madden stand in the FOX broadcast booth at the Louisiana Superdome before Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. Madden began his broadcasting career in 1979, joining CBS after leading the Oakland Raiders to their 1977 Super Bowl title. He worked at CBS until 1994 before switching to Fox, ABC in 2002 and then NBC in 2006.

John Madden, seen here in a 1996 file photo. In addition to his sucessful sportscasting career, the coach-turned-commentator's video game series "Madden NFL Football" is one of the top-selling sports video game franchises of all time.

John Madden, then a commentator for CBS, demonstrates the "Telestrator" device that he would use to illustrate plays during the Super Bowl at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., on Jan. 21, 1982. Madden, the burly former coach who has been one of pro football's most popular broadcast analysts for three decades, is retiring, he announced on April 16, 2009. His last telecast was the Super Bowl between Arizona and Pittsburgh.

John Madden, as the Oakland Raiders coach, is carried off the field by his players after winning Super Bowl XI, in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 9, 1977. Madden began his pro football career as a linebacker coach with the Raiders in 1967 and was named their head coach two years later. When he retired from coaching in 1979, he was the youngest coach ever to reach 100 career regular season victories.

John Madden, seen in a 1973 photo from when he was the Oakland Raiders head coach. After Madden announced his retirement on April 16, 2009, NFL commissioner Roger Godell released a statement commending the coach-turned-broadcaster as "one of the most celebrated personalities in sports," adding that Madden "had an incredible talent for explaining the game in an unpretentious way that made it more understandable and fun."