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WATCH: Indianapolis Colts' tribute video for owner Jim Irsay

WATCH: Indianapolis Colts' tribute video for owner Jim Irsay

USA Today27-05-2025

WATCH: Indianapolis Colts' tribute video for owner Jim Irsay Across their social media channels on Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts posted a tribute video for owner Jim Irsay.
Across their social media channels on Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts posted a tribute video for owner Jim Irsay, who passed away last week.
Below you can watch the video.
The Colts also announced that they will be wearing a jersey patch during the 2025 season to remember Mr. Irsay.
Irsay had been around the Colts' organization for most of his life, which included working training camps in his youth and then being named the youngest GM in team history in 1984. In 1997, he took over ownership of the team and would go on to win two AFC Championships and a Super Bowl in 2006.
'Jim's generosity can be felt all over Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the country," wrote Colts' COO Pete Ward. "He made philanthropy a daily endeavor. He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives. Music was one of Jim's passions and the ability to share his band and collection with millions of people across the world brought him tremendous joy. Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered. Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.'

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Seven takeaways from Eagles minicamp: Offense remains a force, Tyler Steen a front-runner, and more
Seven takeaways from Eagles minicamp: Offense remains a force, Tyler Steen a front-runner, and more

New York Times

time40 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Seven takeaways from Eagles minicamp: Offense remains a force, Tyler Steen a front-runner, and more

PHILADELPHIA — The summer has officially arrived. After six workouts during OTAs, the Eagles fielded perfect attendance in their one-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. The reigning Super Bowl champions will break for just over a month before training camp begins in late July, kick-starting the official beginning of their title defense. Advertisement A series of important questions awaits a franchise seeking to extend its golden era. Nick Sirianni, whose contract was recently extended, oversees a coaching staff managing two major transitions. First-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is still fleshing out his first system with a pool of assistants that includes new-hires Parks Frazier and Scot Loeffler. Vic Fangio, who's entering his 22nd season as an NFL defensive coordinator, is still sorting out those who'll replace eight key members of a top-rated defense that helped win the city's second Super Bowl. Tuesday's viewing of minicamp afforded indications of the answers. In a numbered sequence, here are my takeaways from the final look at the Eagles before the summer begins. 1. The Eagles offense appears empowered by its roster stability. Charting completions and yards per rush is a fruitless exercise in May and June. That Jalen Hurts led a smooth operation throughout workouts is as promising a sign as the Eagles can expect, given the uncharted portions of Patullo's playbook. Hurts said Tuesday that it's 'too early' yet for him to have even spoken to Patullo about the way he intends to call plays in 2025. The Eagles are 'far from what we're going to be' in terms of their offensive identity, Hurts said. But the core elements are clear. Saquon Barkley at age 28 still embodies the strength of what has been a run-oriented attack, and, as if not to be forgotten, Hurts unfurled a long touchdown to DeVonta Smith along the left sideline (with rookie linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. chasing) during Tuesday's 7-on-7 drills to demonstrate the potency that still remains in the passing game. The only apparent hiccups were in the offense's roster holes. Right guard is the only position without a returning starter, and starting center Cam Jurgens is still sidelined while recovering from offseason back surgery. During team situation drills, backup center Brett Toth skipped a snap to Hurts, killing the play, and, on the first-team rep, right guard Tyler Steen was flagged for a false start. The seniority of this unit suggests it will remain a substantial force. 2. Speaking of Tyler Steen… It's evident Steen is the front-runner to start at right guard for yet a second summer. He was the first-team right guard throughout OTAs and in minicamp. Will Steen hold onto the job this time? I asked two-time All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson what he's seen from Steen this offseason, and Johnson was quite complimentary of how much Steen has developed, particularly with his strength. 'He's just a physically gifted dude, man,' Johnson said. 'He's a lot stronger than what he was when he first arrived. So, I think his playing strength is starting to show, and I know he's ready for camp to start. And yeah, man, he's just been putting in work, and I think you've seen traits of him where he can be a dominating player.' Johnson has started beside 10 different right guards in the last five seasons. Steen, a 2023 third-round pick, has started in two games next to Johnson. Steen's top competition appears to be Matt Pryor, who started in five games next to Johnson in 2020. Pryor took second-team snaps at right guard on Tuesday. Kenyon Green, the player portion of the C.J. 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Mukuba to the slot in dime? 5. Jihaad Campbell wore a helmet during individual drills for the first time. This was a notable sign for the No. 31 overall pick, who has been gradually increasing his workload since undergoing pre-draft labrum surgery. He still hasn't yet participated in 7-on-7 or team drills, but he'd only before observed individual drills during OTAs. Tuesday didn't suggest that Campbell is ahead of schedule in his recovery. (Fangio said last week that Campbell 'won't hit the practice field' until 'sometime in August'; Sirianni wouldn't offer a timeline on Tuesday.) But it's important to discuss how Campbell's recovery is different from DeJean's last year. DeJean, drafted as a corner, suffered a hamstring injury while working out in the summer, and returned Aug. 13 on a learning track that took him until Week 6 to start at nickel — 'a drastically different position' from outside corner, according to Fangio. Campbell's focus has only been at inside linebacker. 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(He had 35 snaps in his Week 18 debut against the New York Giants.) Steen is the apparent front-runner at right guard, and Pryor offers the Eagles versatility as a seventh-year veteran who can also play offensive tackle. What else can Keegan add as a reserve lineman? Long-time position coach Jeff Stoutland regularly cross-trains his linemen. While not new in general, it's interesting involving Keegan. Three-time Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson has been Philadelphia's backup center. Could Keegan distinguish himself from other linemen, like Brett Toth, and offer reliability behind Jurgens? 7. Do the Eagles have a No. 4 WR? The Eagles may be weary of the years-long discourse about whether they've secured a No. 3 wide receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. General manager Howie Roseman increased depth by acquiring Jahan Dotson in a training camp trade last year. 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How Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt & Kalen Jackson found their new roles as Colts' owners
How Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt & Kalen Jackson found their new roles as Colts' owners

Indianapolis Star

timean hour ago

  • Indianapolis Star

How Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt & Kalen Jackson found their new roles as Colts' owners

INDIANAPOLIS — When the Colts bus that Jim Irsay loved so much left St. Luke's United Methodist Church last week and drove down Meridian to Crown Hill Cemetery, the drive took Irsay through the heart of his city one last time. People saw the bus and honked their horns. Pulled their car to the side of the road, waved from their yards, cheered. Irsay's funeral had been private, a chance for those close to him to celebrate his legacy, but as the bus drove, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson got to see another part of his legacy. 'It was very emotional, but an extremely beautiful reminder of what he represented here,' Jackson said. 'We don't take that lightly in any way.' Irsay-Gordon, Foyt and Jackson made their first public appearance as the team's owners on Tuesday, lovingly remembering their father, projecting strength, firmly promising to continue the Colts' legacy in Indianapolis. Gently reminding that a part of Irsay's legacy is already their own. Irsay's daughters have spent decades preparing for this moment, following in their father's path of learning the entire organization from an early age, beginning their Colts careers in high school and staying the course through to this moment. 'He let us in on conversations at a very young age, and when I look back on it now, I'm kind of surprised, but he trusted us,' Jackson said. 'He knew that we understood the seriousness of this job, and the responsibility that we had, and I think we'll forever be grateful for that.' Irsay's guiding hand, and his daughters' commitment to the team, have led to a moment that has eluded a handful of other NFL teams. The deaths of Saints owner Tom Benson and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen prompted brutal battles for control of the teams, battles that had to be settled in court. Leaving a property as valuable as an NFL team to more than one heir is far from simple. But on Tuesday, Irsay-Gordon, Jackson and Foyt took the podium together, ready to share the ownership of their father's franchise. 'My dad was so proud to see each of us find our own niche in the franchise our family loves so much,' Irsay-Gordon said. Irsay-Gordon, the oldest, will serve as the principal owner and the leader of the football operations. Foyt is listed as an executive vice president, working in marketing and community relations. Jackson, who has led the team's Kicking the Stigma initiative for years, coordinates the family's community and philanthropic efforts. The three daughters gravitated to their areas of expertise naturally. A rarity, to some degree. Even among family, there is often friction over the future, over who will take over which responsibility when a parent dies. In some families, the parents try to dictate the future themselves. But that wasn't the way Irsay handled it. 'I would say that it naturally happened. … it was never like, 'This is what you're doing,'' Irsay-Gordon said. 'I mean, it was always, you should do what you love, and be yourself, and follow your heart.' Football grabs everybody's attention. From the outside world, it is the only piece of the organization that matters, the wins and losses that drive fan interest and fill Lucas Oil's seats. From owner's perspective, the football matters most. But an owner is in charge of much more than football, and that allowed Irsay's daughters to carve out their own role in this leadership team. 'He always said to us, ''That's one of the most beautiful things about sport,'' Jackson said. ''There's so many areas that you can be involved in.'' There will be times the three sisters disagree on the direction of the team, in one way or the other. The job is too big for agreement all the time. 'They always say that the relationships with your siblings are probably the most important in life,' Jackson said. 'They're the people you're with the most, the people that will most likely stay with you the longest. And we know our faults and our strengths and weaknesses probably better than most. Of course we're going to disagree, but we've also learned, again, from our dad and just from life. We're old enough to have learned how to handle those disagreements.' Irsay did not have a sibling to help bear the burden of the job, to talk about ideas, to provide checks and balances. Where their father was alone at the top, his daughters have each other. The way they've grown into different areas of the building on West 56th Street will help. 'I think it's happened pretty nicely, naturally, that we've all developed our own niches and areas that we're working and contributing to in the building,' Irsay-Gordon said. 'It's great to be able to focus on the things that you're really passionate about and have your business partners doing the other things they're passionate about.' Ultimately, though, Irsay's daughters are counting on their shared commitment to the team their family has loved for so long, that they've already spent so many hours building with him. Irsay had a horseshoe tattoo. All three of his daughters have the same tattoo. 'It was more than just a symbol of loyalty, hard work and compassion,' Foyt said. 'It was so much more – what it meant to him, and he ingrained that in all of us. It was more about, it was a family.'

What new Colts principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon learned on the headset
What new Colts principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon learned on the headset

Indianapolis Star

time2 hours ago

  • Indianapolis Star

What new Colts principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon learned on the headset

INDIANAPOLIS — For a long time now, Carlie Irsay-Gordon's presence with the Colts has been easy to see. Every game, Irsay-Gordon could be seen walking up and down the sideline, wearing a headset, listening to the rapid-fire staccato of the coaching staff calling plays, adjusting the game plan, making key decisions. Irsay-Gordon, who is taking over as the team's principal owner and leading the football side in the wake of Jim Irsay's death while sharing ownership with her sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, first had the idea when Indianapolis hired Chuck Pagano as head coach in 2012. By that point, she'd spent more than a decade working in almost every piece of the organization. But Irsay-Gordon realized she needed to know more about the game to make the hiring decisions that often define an owner's tenure. 'That sort of accelerated my, 'I need to learn more about this. I need to be able to say, 'Is this person full of BS? Do they know what they're talking about?'' Irsay-Gordon said. Irsay-Gordon needed to learn more about the game. Colts news: 1-on-1 talks, quizzes, headsets: How Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Kalen Jackson have prepared to run Colts The headset was one of her classrooms, along with the practice field, positional meetings and conversations with players. Irsay-Gordon has spent a decade learning everything she can about the game from the Colts themselves. 'She's always in meetings, whether it's team meetings, d-unit meetings, in the d-line room, on the field almost every day at practice and obviously on the sidelines,' Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. 'She's always got her big notebook, always taking notes, always asking questions about the game. … And obviously, now it's her time to step up and take the lead, and we all have great confidence in her.' Irsay-Gordon's approach is unique. Not a lot of owners wear a headset on the sideline during games, and Colts players have been asked by opponents on the field about what Irsay-Gordon is doing. To the Colts, her presence felt natural. 'If I owned a football team, I would definitely want to know what's going on on those sidelines,' Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said a couple of weeks ago. As her knowledge grew, Irsay-Gordon's confidence in the game grew with it. 'She'll even come and give you a pop quiz sometimes, so you've got to make sure you're not asleep in those meetings,' receiver coach Reggie Wayne said. 'She's been a student of the game for many years.' The lessons Irsay-Gordon has learned have been invaluable to the Colts already. 'One of the things that being on the headset has really helped me learn is, to the question earlier, it's such a complex organism, a football team, and how it operates on game day,' Irsay-Gordon said. 'I think that's been very valuable, because it also helps us be able to know: Where do we need to make tweaks? What resources do we need? What do we need to fix? So much of it comes down to how we operate and how things work.' Irsay-Gordon has not been involved in play-calling or in-game decisions, although wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. joked that by now, she's probably ready to call a play or two. But Irsay-Gordon was preparing for this moment, a moment that has come far sooner than she or her sisters would have wanted. A franchise-altering decision could be on the horizon. Irsay-Gordon clearly stated her belief Tuesday in general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen in her first public comments since her father's death, but she also acknowledged that the Colts haven't met the standard, echoing her father's final decision on Ballard and Steichen at the end of a disappointing 2024 season. Irsay-Gordon is now the person, along with Foyt and Jackson, who will make the decisions on Ballard and Steichen in the future. After a decade on the headset, she feels much better prepared to make those choices. 'I would suggest it for anybody else who has to pay coaches and GMs millions and millions of dollars,' Irsay-Gordon said. 'It helps you make a less expensive mistake, potentially.'

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