A member of the officiating crew who worked Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs at Nissan Stadium died on his way home from the contest.
Carl Madsen, who worked in the NFL for more than 20 years, was found unresponsive in his car on I-65 North after authorities received reports of a vehicle blocking one lane, according to TMZ Sports. Police broke into his vehicle to extract him, but Madsen died at a hospital a short time later, according to the report.
Madsen was 71 years old.
He worked as a replay official since 2009 and was one of the league’s senior staff members in that role. It was in that capacity that he performed during the Titans’ 27-3 triumph. One of the most important moments of the contest was Mike Vrabel’s challenge of an incomplete pass late in the first quarter. Replay determined that A.J. Brown actually caught Ryan Tannehill’s pass for a 46-yard gain, and Tennessee scored a touchdown five plays later.
"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 in 2009,” NFL senior vice president Walt Anderson said in a statement. “A terrific friend and colleague, Carl’s love of football and dedication to officiating was 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.”
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