Longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has died at 65, the team announced in a statement Wednesday.
‘We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon,’ Pete Ward, the team’s chief operating officer, announced.
‘Jim’s dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed. Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them.’
Irsay was 12 years old when his father, Robert Irsay, acquired the Baltimore Colts in 1972. Jim Irsay worked in various roles throughout the organization before becoming the team’s vice president and general manager in 1984, the same year the team made the controversial move to Indianapolis.
Irsay assumed day-to-day management of the Colts in 1995 after his father suffered a stroke. He went on to oversee one of the most successful periods of the franchise’s history, which began when the team selected Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Irsay also became heavily involved with the Indianapolis community, as the team noted in its statement.
‘Jim’s generosity can be felt all over Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the country,’ the team wrote. ‘He made philanthropy a daily endeavor. He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives. Music was one of Jim’s passions and the ability to share his band and collection with millions of people across the world brought him tremendous joy. Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered. Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.’
Plenty from around the NFL world paid homage to Irsay after his death, including Peyton Manning. Below are some of the most notable tributes to the late Colts owner.
Peyton Manning reacts to death of Jim Irsay
Pat McAfee reacts to death of Jim Irsay
McAfee, the former Colts punter, shared a lengthy message on social media:
‘This is devastating.. Jim had friendships with a lot of his former players.. I was lucky to be one of them.
‘Playing for a team that Mr Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique, and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team at the age of 37.. and before that, hired as the youngest general manager in the history of the league as a 24 year old.
‘He battled his demons, as we all do but, God blessed Jim Irsay with an abundance of compassion.. he wanted to give back/help everybody and everything he saw or knew about… putting a list together of all of the causes/things/people that he’s given to would be an impossible task.. probably well over $100,000,000.. there was even a whale about to get an assist from Jim at one point.
‘The 1st time he and I really had an extended convo was at training camp after the lockout in 2011.. players and front office weren’t allowed to communicate with each other during the lockout but, Jim followed me on Twitter throughout the CBA negotiations.. his first day at training camp, immediately after the lockout ended, he drove his golf cart over to where I was and started firing off questions about Twitter.. He enjoyed the thought of being able to connect with Colts fans all over the world.. he appreciated the opportunity to be able to share some of his thoughts in his own way.. and he absolutely LOVED the idea of being able to give money/experiences/tickets/etc. away to people on Twitter.
‘He was a mogul who had a creative artist’s brain.. Everything he did he wanted to do in a big and imaginative way.. his Twitter Giveaways became just that.. he wanted them to be awesome… and they were. He was a Billionaire who yearned to share his wealth in fun ways.
‘Anybody that met him would say that he seemingly woke up everyday wanting to help people.. life got in the way sometimes but, anybody who actually knew him, loved him.
‘A true anomaly.
‘When I decided to retire.. he and I had a 2.5 hour conversation in his office. He was sitting at his desk.. hitting the (crap) out of his vape .. and we talked about everything I was hoping to go do.
‘He tried to stop me for a few minutes.. even offered to renegotiate my contract.. and then once he realized my decision was made.. the convo turned into him trying to give me as much game as possible about running a business and maintaining authenticity. He gave me quotes and words to live by.. told me stories of mistakes he and others had made and he promised he would do anything he could to help me in my venture.
”If for some reason this doesn’t work or you don’t want to do it anymore, you’ll always have a job here at the Colts. You are family.’
‘Since that day.. Jim has done everything he can to help me succeed.. He’d join our show anytime I asked, no matter where he was in the world.. He’d send me motivational messages when he heard I was going thru something.. he’d forward articles that he’d come across that he thought I should read.. He’d answer any question I had about decisions I had to make.. and he even offered up his connections if I wanted to ‘buy that lovely wife of yours something nice brother’
‘Jim was a real one.. and we will all miss the (crap) out of him.
‘I send my positive prayers and vibes to his daughters, his grandkids, his loved ones, his staff, and everybody who has been working with Jim for the last 40 years.
‘Thank you for EVERYTHING big man.. You were a damn legend. Rest Easy, brother.’
Former Colts, NFL world react to death of Jim Irsay
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