Colts Owner and CEO Jim Irsay leaves an immense, lasting legacy not only on the football team he loved, but on the sport he cared so deeply about and on the community and country in which he lived.
Jim Irsay, in a way, was an ideal person to own a sports franchise in Indianapolis.
Think about where we live. It’s a big city with a small-town, tight-knit feel. It sometimes seems like everybody knows everybody here; chances are, you know somebody who was directly impacted by Irsay’s generous spirit.
Indianapolis takes care of its own, and few took care of Indianapolis like Irsay.
But Indianapolis is also a relentlessly competitive city. It’s a place that, over the last 50 or so years, has scrapped and fought its way to becoming a nationally-recognized metropolis. That didn’t just happen; it took a clear, collective vision and an immense amount of hard work to get Indianapolis to where it is today.
Irsay, too, was defined by the same competitive energy of this city. His vision for the Colts produced a Lombardi Trophy, 10 division titles and a host of Pro Football Hall of Famers, delivering countless moments to what’s become one of the NFL’s best, most dedicated fanbases.
Irsay often viewed himself less as an owner and more of a steward of a football team. But he was more than that. He was a steward of a city. Indianapolis is what it is now because of Irsay – and that goes beyond a skyline now defined to the south by Lucas Oil Stadium.
The mark he left here – on the community as a whole and the individuals who comprise it – is indelible. Irsay did all he could to give back to Indianapolis, whether it was through donations, random acts of kindness, free events, mental health improvements or by having a football team in which our city could take pride.
Irsay’s death leaves a huge hole in our community. But if we follow the example he set and honor the legacy he deserves, collectively, we can all work to fill it.