A legend remembered. John Madden is synonymous with football for generations of people, old and young.

A football star in high school, John went on to play college football before being drafted in the 21st round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. He then, however, suffered a knee injury, ending his playing career before he got to play professionally. It was perhaps for the best since he then went on to gain fame as the head coach for the Oakland Raiders in a decade-long stint, bringing the team to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season.

After retiring prematurely as a coach at age 42, Madden became even more of a household name as a broadcaster starting in 1979 and retiring in 2009, winning 16 Emmy Awards for his work. He also became a famous pitchman, selling beer, restaurants, and hardware, and also lent his voice and personality to the Madden NFL series of football video games.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” Madden once said. “I never really had a job. I was a football player, then a football coach, then a football broadcaster. It’s been my life. Pro football has been my life since 1967. I’ve enjoyed every part of it. Never once did it ever feel like work.”

John Madden speaks about former quarterback Ken Stabler at a ceremony honoring Stabler during halftime of an NFL football game between the Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals in Oakland, CA.

Click through to see photos of the legendary coach’s life.