Indianapolis - Foal owner Jim Irsay has led the team since 1997 and hosted one of the greatest eras of the legendary team, who died Wednesday. He is 65 years old.

"We are frustrated to announce that our beloved owner and CEO Jim Irsay passed away peacefully this afternoon in sleep," Colt Chief Operating Officer Pete Ward said in a statement released by the team. "Jim's dedication and enthusiasm for the Indianapolis Colts, in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community and, above all, his love for his family is unparalleled."

Irsay's daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson survived. His ex-wife and daughter's mother, Meg Coyle; and 10 grandchildren.

His eldest daughter, Irsay-Gordon, was seen as the most involved in the team's action and took her place during the 2014 NFL suspension after DWI's arrest.

"We are very sad to know Jim Irsay's death today," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "He brings integrity, enthusiasm and care to the Colts players, coaches and staff, and his brave work to support mental health will be a lasting legacy. ...... On behalf of the entire NFL, I express my heartfelt condolences to Jim's daughter and her family and many of his friends. ”

Irsay's health has come under scrutiny after he found someone he had no response in the bedroom in December 2023, and police described the incident as a suspicious overdose in the report. Next month, after Irsay was not seen publicly in weeks, the Colts said in a statement that he was treated for "severe respiratory illness."

Irsay has had several public appearances this year since these incidents, but he hasn't seen much lately. He did not attend the NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida this week, the league meeting in Eagan, Minnesota this week, and did not attend the NFL draft last month.

Earlier Wednesday, he expressed support to Indiana Pacers and owner Herb Simon before his debut game against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals and wrote on social media: "go pacers. Good luck for the entire @pacers organization and our city!"

Professional Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning is widely regarded as the greatest player in foal history and is one of the people who mourn Irsay's death.

Manning posted on social media: “I’m sad to hear Jim Irsay’s passing.” “He is a very generous and passionate master and I will always thank him for his start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and Indy City is unparalleled. His impact on the players he plays for will not be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone in the foal community.

Irsay was primarily owned by the Colts, 37, after the death of his father Bob, and after the legal battle with his stepmother was over. He became the youngest owner of the NFL at the time, but would grow into one of the most influential people during the club's management.

Irsay was a prominent member of the NFL Finance Committee and served as chairman of the Legislative Council. He was deeply involved in alliance affairs even before taking on sole ownership in 1997. Irsay was part of four executives appointed by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle at the time to design something that became the league’s salary cap.

But he balances these official roles with public roles, which contradicts the expectations of billionaire NFL owners. Once quirky and always outspoken, Irsay earned reputations in a colorful personality among his peers and often struggled to avoid the spotlight.

From playing guitar and releasing a tune with Jim Irsay Band to unpredictable posts on social media, Ilsey is undoubtedly his own man. He would often distribute $100 bills to fans in practice at Colts training camps and hold trivia games for fans on social media, winners get tickets to the Colts, and even a full paid trip to the road game or Super Bowl.

In an age where NFL owners are increasingly involved in numerous industries, Irsay is NFL Lifer, and his team is his most important asset. He has been in the league for so long that he rubbed his shoulders' memories on quarterback Johnny Unitas while hanging out in the locker room as a kid in Baltimore.

This view may be why Irsay's admiration for NFL architects is always clear. He is one of the few league owners whose existence spans past and present.

He once said, "I was taught by the people I had before me." "Wellington Mara, Lamar Hunter, Dan Rooney...even George Harras. It really taught me to be a housekeeper."

Irsay was in charge of the Colts' success period. Indianapolis is the NFL's sixth winner organization, as Irsay officially became the owner. This success comes after a period of continued futility, with the Colts suffering the eighth biggest loss in the league when Bob Irsay moved the team to 1984 to the young Irsay taking control.

Under Irsay's watch, the Colts advanced to two Super Bowls and won the Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season. Perhaps the most enduring image of Irsay is the photo taken that night, February 4, 2007. In it, he held the Lombardy trophy high in his right hand and refused to fall rain, which was the greatest moment of a generation.

Irsay spent many years dreaming of another Super Bowl victory, but was only behind. In recent years, he has repeatedly said that he feels a game will peak in multiple tournaments - just seeing this dream shattered by various obstacles.

He once made a deputy comment in 2019 and won three straight wins about one day, which sounds ridiculous, thinking the Colts have not won a division title since 2014.

But he defended the statement for this: "When I say three consecutive words, it's because how can you get up and go to work without accepting the absolute best people? No other idea makes sense to me."

Even if Irsay is not a dreamer, reality often has other ideas. Tom Brady's greatness, Manning's neck injury, Andrew Luck's sudden retirement - Every event played a role in Irsay, never realizing his wishes.

In 2012, Irsay was the center of one of the most difficult decisions for the franchise. He made the final choice to release Manning, the first overall draft pick in the 1998 draft. It's an uncertain future due to neck injuries and the team's financial reality, one of the most compelling rosters in league history.

In a tearful press conference with Manning, Irsay described the moment as "a painful and difficult day between Peyton, myself, fans - everyone". Manning played his entire career in Indianapolis until then he said, “It’s not what both of us want.”

Irsay then recalled the hours after the Colts finished first in the last day of the 2012 season, paving the way for the choice of luck, allowing Manning to release virtual certainty.

"I just cried in front of my daughter. I knew it was over," he told NFL.com in 2014.

One of Irsay's main passions is to become an outstanding collector outside his family and his team. Over the years, he turned what was once just an expensive hobby into an identity, creating a world-renowned tour exhibition called the Jim Irsay series. It includes over 500 of the world's most unique items, from Muhammad Ali's championship belt from "rumble in the jungle" to the classic guitar combination that many consider the most important in the world.

Irsay has made extensive investments in the series, and his spending has estimated to have continued tens of millions of dollars over the past two decades. If he wants a very bad item, he will do his best to ensure it. Irsay once surpassed Elton John Piano of Ed Glazer, co-owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which sold for $915,000 at auction. Irsay told ESPN last year that he turned down a collection offer to buy a collection from an unidentified person in the Middle East, more than $1 billion.

Importantly, Irsay always insists that his most precious possession in the series is the so-called "big book", the manuscript that is the basis for anonymous alcoholics. Irsay’s decades-long struggle in addiction meant that he resonated on levels that other items in his collection could not produce.

"These 12 steps actually saved hundreds of thousands or millions of lives," Irsay told ESPN. "My grandfather died in 1927, eight years after the AA was founded. He had no hope. At that time they would just stick people in nursing homes.

"Because of these 12 steps, I was able to bridge the dam of generations and say, 'Stop! No more!" These families are not destroyed by all the conflicts that have occurred and destroyed these families. ”

Irsay's father is known to struggle with alcoholism and is remembered by many for his irritable temper. Young Irsay witnessed the challenges his father brought about by drinking, but was usually unable to shake his bad habits.

In an interview with HBO Sports in November 2023, Irsay said he had recovered at least 15 times. One of them is believed to have appeared after he was arrested in 2014 while drunk in Carmel, Indiana. Later that year, Irsay pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor and was sentenced to one year's probation.

Relatedly, in recent years, the Irsay family has been the first to deal with mental health and addiction challenges with their “Kick Out” fundraising campaign, and Irsay has consistently advocated it. His past experiences with addiction have driven his passion for his career, and his position in the league has helped open the door with donors.

IRSAYS awarded $31 million in grants to organizations in the mental health and related fields by kicking stigma.

Moving forward, the Colts' ownership is expected to be transferred to Irsay's daughter. Everyone received the title of ownership in 2012 and had a number of active roles in the organization for many years. How many teams (if any) are transferred to the daughter’s case is unclear, and the impact of potential real estate taxes.

But Irsay's wish has always been clear. After gaining ownership from his father, he had no doubt of his intentions.

"We're going to keep 100% of the team and pass it on to my kids," he said.