Some younger football fans would be surprised to learn that before he shared a broadcast booth with Al Michaels and Pat Summerall, before his video-game persona quizzically wondered, "Boom! Where'd that truck come from?" John Madden was a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Oakland Raiders.
Given his history, it makes sense that Mark Davis, son of Al Davis, has sought advice and guidance from Madden in the wake of his father's passing, according to ESPN.com.
The Raiders are in a state of organizational transition, understandable considering Davis' monster reach into all realms of the operation. The Raiders also have consulted former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf and former Raiders personnel director Ken Herock.
"He was my best friend," Madden said of Davis, according to The New York Times. "If I had one call to make, if I needed anything, the call would be to Al Davis. I lost the one-call guy, the mentor, the father, the best friend."
Madden ended his hugely successful broadcasting career in 2009. He was the Raiders' head coach from 1969 to 1978 and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.