Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay died Wednesday at the age of 65.
“We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon,” Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward said in a statement released by the team. “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.”
Irsay led the team since 1997. He is is survived by his daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, his ex-wife and his daughters’ mother, Meg Coyle, and 10 grandchildren.
“We were deeply saddened to learn of Jim Irsay’s passing today. Jim was a friend, and a man deeply committed to his family, the game, the Colts, and the Indianapolis community,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, per NBC Sports. “He spent his life and career in the National Football League. Starting as a teenager as a Colts’ ballboy, he learned every position in the organization before assuming leadership of the Colts approximately 30 years ago. Jim’s Colts won the Super Bowl, hosted another and built Lucas Oil Stadium.
Irsay-Gordon, his oldest daughter, has been the most involved in team operations.
According to ESPN, Irsay took over principal ownership at 37 years old after the death of his father, Bob, and following the conclusion of a legal battle with his stepmother.
He became the NFL’s youngest owner at the time but would grow into one of its most influential during his stewardship of the club.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter@Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.