NFL to honor late John Madden with moment of silence at each Week 17 game

Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The NFL will hold a moment of silence before all of its Week 17 games in honor of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and broadcasting legend John Madden, who died unexpectedly 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 said Thursday in a 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 conducted before the playing of the national anthem.

Madden was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 after a successful NFL coaching career. He served as head coach of the then-Oakland Raiders for 10 seasons, reaching seven AFC title games and winning Super Bowl XI in the 1976-77 campaign.

He compiled a 103-32-7 record in the regular season, and his .759 winning percentage is the best in league history among NFL coaches with at least 100 games coached.

After retiring from coaching at age 42, Madden entered the television booth and called games for every major network, including CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC, from 1979-2008.

In addition to his success in the booth, Madden became the face of EA Sports' Madden NFL Football franchise -- one of the most successful sports video game series in history.