The 79-year-old NFL legend John Madden has just been reported to have undergone open heart surgery. He was just released from a hospital in San Francisco last Wednesday, where he went to get treatment for the blockages in his heart.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he is expected to fully recover after the highly critical procedure.
Goodell then proceeded by sharing his admiration towards the Hall of Fame coach. He says that although Madden sounds great post-surgery, he is not that happy that he has to stay on the injured reserve in the meantime. Goodell says, "He is anxious to return to action soon doing the important work he does for our game. He's a tremendous fountain of ideas and we can't wait to get him back. We are all pleased to know that John's procedure was successful and wish him a speedy recovery."
John Madden has always been a revered figure in the sport. Coach of the Carolina Panthers, Ron Rivera shared that he was in constant contact with the veteran during their perfect run the past season. The Panthers' team owner and founder Jerry Richardson connected the two several years ago.
The coach of the victors of the last Super Bowl XI says that he appreciated the time and attention Madden gave to him. According to Rivera, "One of the really neat things that he had done this year is he had called me upon certain milestones that we hit in the season and congratulated me and I shared that with the players and coaches." He also mentioned that John Madden is fond of giving him advice all throughout the season.
Madden is currently part of the NFL Coaches Competition Committee as chairman, and he is also part of the NFL Player Safety Advisory Panel.