Colts owner Jim Irsay died peacefully in his sleep Wednesday afternoon, the team announced on Wednesday. He was 65 years old.
“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,” Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward wrote in the team’s statement.
Irsay’s entire life has been dedicated to the Colts. As a teenager, he started out as a ballboy when his father Bob acquired the team in 1972. At 25, he became general manager, the youngest general manager in NFL history. Down the line, he assumed full ownership of the organization at 37 years old, again the youngest in the league.
The Colts achieved the bulk of the franchise’s success under his guidance. Since Irsay officially took over in 1997, Indianapolis is the fifth-winningest franchise in the NFL. The team appeared in two Super Bowls (XLI and XLIV), winning one in 2007.
Irsay found himself at the center of many difficult football decisions. He cut Peyton Manning. He hired Jeff Saturday, a former player with no coaching experience, as an interim head coach. No matter how reckless or confusing his decisions seemed at the time, Irsay always defended himself with confidence.
But he was more than just a football man. He was a philanthropist of the highest order.
“Stewards — I prefer that word so much more than owner,” Irsay said in a profile in The Athletic in 2021.
At his core, Irsay was a generous man who cared deeply about people. But, like most, he was still an imperfect soul.
Irsay struggled with a myriad of health issues. He battled alcoholism and was known to have a complicated relationship with prescription painkillers.
In an interview with HBO Sports this past November, the late owner admitted he has been to rehab 15 times at a minimum, with at least one of those stints believed to be following a 2014 arrest for driving under the influence.
Irsay was stopped near his house in Carmel for erratic driving. Upon searching his vehicle, officers found several bottles of prescription medication. Irsay hit rock bottom as NFL commissioner Roger Goddell suspended him six games plus a $500,000 fine for his actions. Irsay would eventually plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Despite his personal health battles, Irsay still prioritized the betterment of others through his various philanthropic donations.
Irsay gave generous gifts to advance cancer research and promote mental health awareness through the Colts’ “Kicking the Stigma” campaign. He donated over 10,000 N95 masks to healthcare workers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives,” Ward said in the team’s statement. “Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place.”
As for the future of the Colts, ownership will remain within the Irsay family. After inheriting the team from his own father, Irsay has always been clear about his intentions for the future of the club.
“We’re keeping 100% of the team and I’m passing it down to my children,” he said.
Jim’s three daughters, Kalen Jackson, Casey Foyt and Carlie Irsay-Gordon were each given ownership titles in 2012. They have been active within the organization since then, with their involvement growing in recent years due to their dad taking a step back to prioritize his health.
It is expected that Irsay-Gordon will assume primary responsibility on the football side of things while her sisters remain involved in other capacities.
