NFL official Carl Madsen dies on way home from Chiefs-Titans
Carl Madsen, a former NFL official who had worked for the league for more than 20 years, died on Sunday. He was 71 years old at the time. Madsen died on his way home from Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans, where he worked as a replay official, according to NFL.com.
While the circumstances surrounding Madsen’s death are unclear, the Nashville Police Department informed TMZ that early indications suggest Madsen had “a medical emergency” while driving on I-65 North. Officers responded to a call of a motorist blocking a traffic lane and discovered Madsen unconscious at the scene, according to a spokeswoman.
According to the report, Madsen was given chest compressions as soon as he was removed from the truck, but he died after being taken to a local hospital. The cause of his death is still unknown.
Madsen, an Air Force veteran, worked as an on-field official for 12 years from 1997 to 2008 before switching to his current position as a replay official. As the league’s most experienced replay official, he was said to be tied with Paul Weidner.
“Carl Madsen was an NFL officiating fixture for more than two decades, first as a highly respected on-field official before transitioning to a replay role beginning in 2009,” NFL senior VP of officiating training and development Walt Anderson said in a statement. “A terrific friend and colleague, Carl’s love of football and dedication to officiating were ever-present, as he generously shared his time to mentor young officials at clinics across the country. A veteran of the Air Force, Carl had a tremendous spirit and will be greatly missed.”
Scott Green, president of the NFL Referees Association, also sent a statement to Pro Football Talk:
“Carl will be missed by those who worked with him on the field and in the replay,” Green said. “He had a nickname among his fellow officials of “Big Country” which was not only related to his size but to his big personality as a warm and generous man.”