Colts’ Jim Irsay was the ultimate players’ owner who wasn’t afraid to express his love for his team

Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint someone’s legacy after they die. That is not the case for Jim Irsay, the longtime Indianapolis Colts owner who died in his sleep on Wednesday at age 65. 

Irsay’s legacy includes his extensive community service and philanthropy, specifically in the areas of mental heath and education. He started the “Kicking the Stigma” program, supported local educational initiatives and funded community centers throughout the Indianapolis area. 

Regarding the Colts, Irsay’s legacy is being the ultimate players’ owner. He loved his players and wasn’t afraid to express it, whether it was in the locker room after a game, during a Hall of Fame ceremony or behind closed doors. 

The feeling was certainly mutual. Irsay was asked to present three of his former players, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Dwight Freeney, when they were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. James, who was released after the 2005 season, was still given a Super Bowl ring by Irsay after the Colts won the Super Bowl the following season. 

Irsay took great pride in his team’s accomplishments; he famously had a “2014 AFC Finalist” banner raised inside Lucas Oil Stadium to honor that team’s AFC Championship Game appearance. He spared no expense when it came to the team’s AFC Championship and Super Bowl rings. In 2016, he threw a weekend-long 10-year anniversary celebration of the team’s 2006 championship. 

As much as he loved his players, Irsay still made tough personnel decisions with the Colts’ best interests at heart. That included the release of team icon Peyton Manning after the 2011 season, 13 years after Irsay and the Colts selected Manning with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. 

“I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay’s passing,” Manning wrote on a social media post that included a picture of him and Irsay shortly after the Colts drafted him. “He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my first start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten.” 

As Manning alluded to, Irsay’s passion for “The Shoe” was limitless. He revered the team’s rich history that dated back to the team’s years in Baltimore. And while the Colts had some success in Indianapolis prior to him becoming owner, the Colts really didn’t establish their own legacy in their new city until he took over. 

The height of Irsay’s time as Colts owner occurred on January 21, 2007. The Colts won the Super Bowl two weeks later, on a rainy night in Miami, but the team’s true defining moment was against the Patriots in the 2006 AFC title game. Down 21-3, the Colts roared back and defeated the NFL’s Goliath in one of the most thrilling conference title games in NFL history. 

Irsay had his challenges, both personally and professionally. But he never let those obstacles get in the way of the things that mattered to him most: his family, his community and, of course, his Colts.