NFL great Madden undergoes surgery

Hall of Fame coach and former broadcaster John Madden is recovering after undergoing open-heart surgery..

Madden, 79, had the procedure in a San Francisco hospital to repair blockages before returning home on Wednesday.

"I spoke to John yesterday," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"He sounds great but is frustrated about being on injured reserve for the time being.

"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."

Madden serves as co-chair with Ronnie Lott on the NFL player safety advisory panel and is also chair of the coaches sub-committee.

As head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969-78, Madden compiled an impressive career record of 103-32-7 and guided the team to their first Super Bowl in 1977.

After retiring from coaching, he embarked on a broadcasting from 1979-2008 and worked for all four major networks - ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox - as a highly-respected analyst.