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New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Former Indianapolis Colts players, coaches react to Jim Irsay's death
The Indianapolis Colts and NFL community showed an outpouring of support in the wake of Colts owner Jim Irsay's death Wednesday. In a statement, the Colts said Irsay died peacefully in his sleep. He was 65 years old. Irsay started as a ball boy for the Colts in 1972 when his father, Robert Irsay, purchased the team, then based in Baltimore. The younger Irsay was tied to the Horseshoe from then on, becoming general manager in 1984 (the league's youngest at age 24) and taking over as owner after his father's death in 1997 (also the league's youngest at age 37). Advertisement He quickly became known for his candid personality and contributions to the Colts, NFL and Indianapolis community. The Colts had a .570 winning percentage with Irsay as owner, sixth best in the NFL during that span, and the team won Super Bowl XLI in January 2007. 'Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit,' the Colts' statement reads. Here is what a few prominent former players, colleagues and peers of Irsay posted in reaction to his death: Peyton Manning: Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Super Bowl XLI champion with the Colts, five-time NFL MVP, 14-time Pro Bowler, with Indianapolis from 1998-2011 Peyton Manning on the passing of Jim Irsay — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 22, 2025 Andrew Luck: Selected first by the Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft, league record-holder for most passing yards in a rookie season (4,374), four-time Pro Bowler over seven seasons in Indy, Pro Football Hall of Famer General Manager Andrew Luck and Interim Head Coach Frank Reich remember their former colleague and friend, Jim Irsay. — Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) May 22, 2025 Tony Dungy: Colts head coach from 2002-2008 during Super Bowl XLI win, Pro Football Hall of Fame member When I got the news last night that Jim Irsay had passed away in his sleep it was devastating to me. The Bible says in many places that tomorrow is not promised to us but I wasn't ready for this. Jim was one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever known. He was… — Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) May 22, 2025 Reggie Wayne: Colts wide receiver from 2001-14, ranks second in franchise history in career receiving yards (14,345) behind Marvin Harrison, a six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLI champion This hurts my soul…. — Reggie Wayne (@ReggieWayne_17) May 21, 2025 Jonathan Taylor: Current Colts running back, franchise record holder in single-season rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18) 💙🕊️ — Jonathan Taylor (@JayT23) May 22, 2025 Adam Vinatieri: Colts placekicker from 2006-19, holds NFL record for most consecutive field goals made with 44, won his fourth Super Bowl with the Colts after three with New England I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Jim Irsay. He was more than just an owner, he as a man of the people and his generosity was unmatched. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to have played under his leadership, and his impact on my life. Rest in peace, Jim. — Adam Vinatieri (@adamvinatieri) May 22, 2025 T.Y. Hilton: Four-time Pro Bowl receiver with the Colts Please don't ask me if I'm ok. Cuz I'm not. Thank You Sooo Much I will forever hold our talks close to my heart. Love You! RIP 🥹🥹🥹🥹😢😢 — TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) May 22, 2025 Pat McAfee: Colts punter from 2009-16, two-time Pro Bowler, current host of ESPN's 'The Pat McAfee Show' and 'College GameDay' analyst This is devastating.. Jim had friendships with a lot of his former players.. I was lucky to be one of them. Playing for a team that Mr Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique, and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team… — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 22, 2025 Ryan Kelly: Colts first-round pick in 2016, four-time Pro Bowl center, with Colts from 2016-24 RIP Jim 🕊️ — Ryan Kelly (@ryan_kelly70) May 22, 2025 Matt Overton: Began NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Colts, 2013 Pro Bowl long snapper, played in Indy from 2012-16 Heartbreaking. Mr. Irsay was a kind, loving and gave so much to Indy. His passion for the Colts and the game was always evident. Forever grateful to him and the honor to wear the Horseshoe. God Bless you boss man, the Irsay family and all of Colts Nation. — Matt Overton (@MattOverton_LS) May 21, 2025 Chuck Pagano: Colts head coach from 2012-17, led team to back-to-back AFC South titles in 2013 and 2014 I'm Heartbroken over the passing of Jim Irsay. NOBODY loved his Family, his Team and his Community more than Jim!! He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and stood by me in my darkest hour! His generosity and kindness are unmatched. I'm forever grateful. Love you, Boss💙💙RIP — Chuck Pagano (@ChuckPaganoNFL) May 22, 2025 Brian Baldinger: Colts offensive lineman from 1988-91 .@Colts I loved wearing the Horseshoe. RIP Jim Irsay we ❤️ U — Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) May 22, 2025 Darius Butler: Colts defensive back from 2012-17 A generous man that LOVED his Family, Community and Football team. Jim Irsay will truly be missed. 🖤🕊️ — Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) May 21, 2025 Marvin Harrison Jr.: Son of Colts great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, current receiver with the Arizona Cardinals RIP MR. IRSAY🙏🏾 — Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) May 22, 2025 Kenny Moore II: Current Colts cornerback, 2021 Pro Bowler Thinking of the Irsay family during this time of loss. I'll remember the great leader you were and the spirit you continually kept. Say hello to my dad 🙏🏾 — Kenny Moore II (@KennyKennyMoe3) May 22, 2025 DeForest Buckner: Current Colts defensive tackle, three-time Pro Bowler 🙏🏾🕊️ — DeForest Buckner (@DeForestBuckner) May 21, 2025 (Photo of Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay: Bobby Ellis / Getty Images)
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
With death of Jim Irsay, Colts lost a lifer and Indianapolis lost an icon
When my phone buzzed late at night and 'No Caller ID' flashed across the screen, I knew. I knew who was calling. I knew I needed to get my notebook ready. Most of all, I knew I wasn't going back to sleep for several hours. Those calls with Jim Irsay, the longtime Indianapolis Colts owner who died Wednesday at 65, were … an adventure. It came with the territory. I was a Colts beat writer for 10 years. The Irsay Experience was part of the gig. Advertisement Sometimes they'd last for hours. Sometimes I'd barely squeeze in a question. He'd start on one topic, veer into a dozen others, then eventually find his way back home. He'd dish on Peyton Manning and Jimi Hendrix and Hunter S. Thompson in the same thought. He'd tell stories about watching Gayle Sayers in the 1960s and how it reminded him of watching Jonathan Taylor in the 2020s. He'd vent on the state of his team or an article I'd written that he didn't appreciate or whatever else happened to be on his mind at 1 in the morning. Say this much about the man: in a buttoned-up league that often takes itself too seriously, he was a renegade. Jim Irsay couldn't do boring if he tried. I watched him belt out the lyrics to 'All Along the Watchtower' at a concert in Nashville the night before a game. I sat with him in his office, in his suite at Lucas Oil Stadium and on the balcony of his hotel room at the NFL owners' meetings in Phoenix. I watched him sit in a cheap plastic chair and fight back tears the night Andrew Luck walked away from football. I shared too many late-night conversations with him to count, conversations that helped me better understand his football team and what it takes to win in this league. He was a character, eccentric and outspoken, ruthlessly competitive and unfailingly optimistic. He could be combative, too, if his team's season wasn't going the way he thought it should. During those calls, Irsay did not hold back. He didn't just read what reporters thought about his team, he cared what reporters thought about his team. He valued local media in a unique way. He'd invite us into his office, the one with guitars worth eight times more than my house enclosed in glass. He'd stop to chat after road wins, knowing his words would fill up our notebook. He'd call, often late at night. He'd text. (Big emoji guy.) Advertisement I imagine no owner in NFL history relished a microphone or camera as much as Irsay. He always reminded us that he was a broadcast journalism major at SMU, so he knew our jobs better than most. We weren't supposed to be cheerleaders. We were supposed to be fair. He understood that. Even if, on occasion, what we wrote ticked him off. After one testy conversation late in the 2022 season, he called back after a few minutes to apologize. He'd fumed over a story I'd written about the Colts' reckless decision — his reckless decision — to hire Jeff Saturday as interim coach midway through the ill-fated campaign. He'd bragged the night he hired Saturday, challenging the reporters in the room to 'put your money on the table and bet against this man.' Everybody in that room — aside from maybe him and Saturday — knew it wouldn't work. The Colts stumbled home 1-7, were outscored by 87 points and suffered the single-biggest collapse in NFL history. So when Irsay called back later that night, he was calmer. He seemed angrier at himself than at what I'd written — a 'brutal, sucker punch' of a season 'set up by destructive rationalization.' What kind of owner admits that? Irsay was so stunningly honest in front of the cameras and microphones that it sometimes hurt him. (The same night he introduced Saturday as interim coach, he somehow mentioned Michael Jordan, flights to Mars, the CIA and the enduring lessons of Al Davis. Try fitting all that into a story on deadline.) He might own the NFL record for most news conferences held without uttering a single cliché. He told stories. He quoted musicians. He sold hope. He boasted about winning 'three straight Lombardis' even though his roster was in no way ready to compete for a championship. Right or wrong, his passion spilled out of him every time he spoke. I once wrote he was the 'biggest Colts fan who ever lived.' He never disputed that. In fact, he wore it as a badge of honor. The man couldn't help himself. The team was his life. Consider what some of his former players wrote on social media Wednesday night: This is devastating.. Jim had friendships with a lot of his former players.. I was lucky to be one of them. Playing for a team that Mr Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique, and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team… — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 22, 2025 Please don't ask me if I'm ok. Cuz I'm not. Thank You Sooo Much I will forever hold our talks close to my heart. Love You! RIP 🥹🥹🥹🥹😢😢 — TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) May 22, 2025 This hurts my soul…. — Reggie Wayne (@ReggieWayne_17) May 21, 2025 His reputation nationally — that he was this weird, rambling owner, the son of the guy who snuck the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night — never squared with how he was viewed in Indianapolis. Here, he was respected. Revered, even. Irsay was the man who lifted a franchise from the league cellar into Super Bowl champs. Advertisement Once a basketball hotbed, this is a proud football town because of the likes of Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James. Make no mistake, it's also a proud football town because of Jim Irsay. He'd watched his father sabotage this franchise in the 1980s, and privately, always vowed he'd do it differently. He learned what to do by learning what not to do. 'He had no idea how to run a football team,' Jim said of his father, later noting that his dad 'fired me more times than I can count.' The younger Irsay, in many ways, became the opposite: a man of the people, beloved as much for his generosity as his accessibility. Fans never had to wonder what Irsay thought. Neither did reporters. From our seat, that's all you can ask for. He didn't hide, and he didn't sugarcoat. For better or worse, he was unfailingly authentic. He was the owner who passed out $100 bills at training camp, who held contests on social media for free tickets, who flew fans to the Super Bowl and covered their hotel rooms and meals. And there was so much more he did that never made its way into the news. Ask anyone who's worn the horseshoe. Chances are, if they lost a loved one while playing for this team, Irsay flew them home on his private jet for the funeral. Starter or third-string, head coach or low-level scout, it didn't matter. He was, without question, among the greatest philanthropists this city and state have ever seen. 'It has to be about more than just football,' Irsay once told me. 'It has to be about the community, making the community better. I think it's the most notable endeavor you can pursue.' He was the rare owner who grew up in the game; Jimmy, they used to call him, started out as a teenage ballboy for his father's Baltimore Colts in 1972. He was general manager by 24, and the hard lessons from his draft whiffs and free agency misses humbled him. I once asked him why, after his father passed in 1997 and he assumed full control of the team, he didn't stay heavily involved in personnel decisions. Why not try and be the next Jerry Jones? 'There's no way I could do both, even back then,' he said flatly. Advertisement Deep down, he knew if the Colts wanted to compete for championships, he needed someone else calling the shots. So he traded for Bill Polian in 1998 and stepped back. Months later, in the tense few days before the 1998 NFL Draft, Polian stormed into his office, sweating over the No. 1 pick. When Polian weighed the pros and cons of Tennessee's Peyton Manning, part of him saw another Bernie Kosar. 'You're getting Bernie Kosar!' Polian screamed at his new boss, slamming his fists on Irsay's desk. 'Can you live with Bernie Kosar?!?' Irsay nodded. He knew he wasn't getting the next Bernie Kosar. The city would never be the same. The NFL lost an original on Wednesday. Indianapolis lost an icon. The Colts lost a lifer. There will never be another quite like Jim Irsay. Not in the NFL, and likely not in any sport. He made the Colts more competitive and my job far more fascinating. I'll be forever grateful our paths crossed along the way.
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Stanford Football Preview 2025: Transition Year Ahead for the Cardinal
The drop off the map was swift, brutal, and it keeps was a real, live college football powerhouse from 2009 to 2018. There were Rose Bowls, high draft picks, Heisman-caliber talents, and that was when playing in the Pac-12 meant after a 9-4 2018, the program suffered six straight seasons with four wins or fewer - the 2015 team won as many games as Stanford won combined over the last four years. After two years at the helm, head coach Troy Taylor was fired following a report of alleged mistreatment of staff members - and now Stanford is scrambling. General Manager Andrew Luck is looking for a full-time head coach - Frank Reich still has the interim tag - the 2025 team is traveling to Hawaii, Virginia, Dallas, Miami, and Chapel Hill, and …Other than that, things are going great. But there is Oregon State and Washington State, Stanford got the call to the ACC last season, it's still a Power Four program, and considering there's a not-that-awful starting 22 likely in place, there are enough winnable games on the slate to maybe, possibly, potentially come up with one of its best seasons in years. (Even if that means just five wins.) Stanford Cardinal Preview 2025: Offense X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- It was a rough year for the offense. There were too many turnovers, not enough third down conversions, and it all started with a line that couldn't keep anyone out of the backfield. There should be an improvement.- There isn't enough proven depth, but the starting five up front should be okay. Tackle combination of Kahlil House and former UCLA Bruin Niki Prongos is good enough. Sacramento State transfer Nathan Mejia is new, but guards Simione Pale and Jack Leyrer are back. - The running backs need more room, but they're okay. Micah Ford was second on the team with 309 yards and Chris Davis was third averaging over five yards per carry, but all 11 touchdowns came from former quarterbacks Ashton Davis (Auburn) and Justin Lamson (Montana State).- Elijah Brown is a promising young quarterback, freshman Bear Bachmeier is the future, and between the two they'll let it rip. They need receivers, though, with star target Elic Ayomanor now a Tennessee Titan and Emmett Mosley now at Texas. Tiger Bachmeier is fine for the slot, but it's up to CJ Williams (Wisconsin) and a slew of transfers to take over. Stanford Cardinal Preview 2025: Defense - The defense was among the worst in the ACC. The pass rush was fine, but star David Bailey is now at Texas Tech. The run defense wasn't bad, but the pass D was among the worst in America. But there's hope.- Collin Wright is a keeper at safety. He led the team with three picks to go along with his 45 tackles, and big-tackling safeties Scotty Edwards and Mitch Sinclair are strong. The corners are thin, though, needing Dartmouth transfer Jordan Washington to be an instant factor.- The defensive backs had to make too many stops. The linebacking corps is at least experienced with Matt Rose good for the inside and Tevarua Tafiti a factor in the backfield. The line is also full of veterans, and it's one area with enough depth to expect a production boost. Stanford Cardinal Key to the Season Come up with third down one's expecting a brick wall, but the Cardinal front six/seven is far too experienced to struggle so much on key downs. It wasn't quite this simple, but it's not far won three games last season. Those were the three teams the defense didn't allow teams to convert more than 40% of their third down tries. Stanford Cardinal Key Player Kahlil House, OT O line has to come up with a stronger season and it starts with the tackles. The 6-4, 285-pound tackle was thrown into the mix as a true freshman. It wasn't always smooth, but the potential, talent and athleticism are there to be the main man up front. Stanford Cardinal Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: CJ Williams, WR was hard to show off too much in the weirdly-bad Wisconsin offense, but last year Williams averaged over 15 yards per catch on his 16 grabs. He might not be a volume catcher, but he's got the talent to stretch the field a bit from the Transfer Out: David Bailey, EDGE not like he played like the next Lawrence Taylor, but he cranked up 14.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in his three seasons, growing into more of a wrecking ball in Year Three. Arguably the top pass rusher in the portal, now he's at Texas Tech. Stanford Cardinal Key Game Boston College, Sept. 13The Cardinal start early at Hawaii, get a date at BYU, and then the ACC season opens up when Boston College comes to Palo Alto. It's a winnable home game if everything goes right, and with Virginia and San Jose State to follow, it's possible to match last year's three-win total before October.- 2025 Stanford Cardinal Schedule Breakdown Stanford Cardinal Top 10 Players 1. Collin Wright, S Jr.2. Tevarua Tafiti, LB Sr.3. Sam Roush, TE Sr.4. Scotty Edwards, S Jr.5. Micah Ford, RB, RFr.6. Elijah Brown, QB Soph.7. Emmet Kenney, PK Sr.8. Anthony Franklin, EDGE Sr.9. Kahlil House, OT Soph.10. Tiger Bachmeier, WR Jr. Stanford Cardinal 2024 Fun Stats - Penalties: Opponents 81 for 742 yards, Stanford 65 for 588 yards- Tackles for Loss: Opponents 104 for 394 yards, Stanford 63 for 236 yards- Interceptions: Opponents 17, Stanford 9 Stanford Cardinal 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen The schedule is easy enough to be a real opportunity for a good season, but can Stanford take advantage of it?There's no Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, or Virginia Tech to deal with - and no Duke, Syracuse, and Wake Forest, either - but there are enough landmines to make it tough in the SMU, Florida State, at Miami - October will be rough. There will be a few other forget-about-it games when the Cardinal aren't even close - at BYU might be that, and so will Notre Dame - but there should be a few shockers to flirt with a decent season. It might not be a bowl run, but considering the circumstances, it'll be an okay The Stanford Cardinal Win Total At … 3.5Likely Wins: No Sure Thing Wins50/50 Games: Boston College, Cal, at Hawaii, at North Carolina, Pitt, San Jose State, at VirginiaLikely Losses: at BYU, Florida State, at Miami, Notre Dame, at SMU © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
I coached in the NFL for years. This is the biggest reason young QBs succeed or fail
Editor's Note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic's new desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Peak aims to connect readers to ideas they can implement in their own personal and professional lives. Follow Peak here. I remember the exact moment I knew Andrew Luck had the makeup to be successful. Advertisement I'm not talking about talent. Everyone knew he had the talent. I'm talking about makeup — the mental side of the game that you can't measure on film or at the combine. I was the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts at the time. I flew up to Stanford to work Andrew out ahead of the draft. Andrew was the best player in the draft, but I wanted to see what he was made of, so we put in some plays, ran them out on the field, then came back to a meeting room to talk. I said to him: 'OK, put 62 Y Choice up on the board' — it was a play we had just put in earlier that day. Andrew started diagramming the play and breaking it down. Then I cut him off: 'That's not what I said.' Andrew didn't hesitate a beat, man. He fired right back: 'That's exactly what you said.' And it was; he was right. I chuckled and said, 'OK, man, you got me. I'm trying to check you out.' I just wanted to test him, to see if he had the fortitude to know he was right and stick up for himself. He put a fork in that real quick. I knew then that when tough times came — and they always do for young quarterbacks — he could handle it. It wouldn't crumble him. And after all my years in the NFL, I think that's the No. 1 indicator of whether players in general and quarterbacks in particular will succeed or fail: how they handle failure. Andrew's rookie year was chaotic. Chuck Pagano was the head coach, but he left the team in October to fight leukemia. I became the interim head coach. Later in the season, we played the Detroit Lions. In the fourth quarter, we were down and Andrew threw his third pick of the game. When he came off the field, he went right over to the defense. 'Hey, if you stop them, we're going to score,' he said. The defense got a stop and Andrew threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to cut Detroit's lead to five. When he came off the field after that touchdown, he went back to the defense: 'If you stop them again, we'll win this game.' Advertisement The defense stopped them, he threw a touchdown on the last play of the game and we won. Andrew didn't let failure get him down. He didn't dwell on it; he didn't waver. He just let it piss him off enough to go: Hey, we're going to win this game. When I was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, I put guys in extremely, extremely tough situations during practice and hoped they would fail. I'd give one of my quarterbacks the ball with 35 seconds left, no timeouts and they needed to drive down the field for a touchdown to win. It was almost impossible, but I just wanted to see how they would handle failing. Were they going to let it get them down? Were they going to let it affect their work the next day? Here's the thing about failure, though: I think you can learn how to handle it. You can train yourself to deal with it the right way, in football and in life. For me, it was always about finding out the why. Why was I not successful? Instead of focusing on the failure itself, focus on the reasons behind it. Was it a lack of preparation, or did I overprepare? Was it technique? Was it execution? And then, once we figure out the why, let's go work on it. Years before I coached Andrew, I coached another talented young rookie quarterback named Peyton Manning. He had all the ability, but he also had the same quality Andrew had: He didn't let failure derail him. During the second game of his rookie season, we played at New England. Peyton had thrown three interceptions in his first start. He threw three more picks against the Patriots. We were getting smoked 29-0. But I told him: 'Stay in there. We're going to run the two-minute offense. Let's learn something.' Sure enough, late in the game, he drove us down the field and scored a touchdown. We still lost, of course, but he hung in there. He learned. Advertisement My point is: You never, ever saw him down on himself. It was always: 'How am I going to get better? Let's get better. Let's work, work, work.' That was his mentality. And that's the mentality anyone needs to successfully deal with failure. — As told to Jayson Jenks (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How baseball hats became a key element of the NFL Draft, plus the changes for 2025
When a player's name is called during the first round of the NFL Draft, the transition to the pros just doesn't feel official until they put on their new team's hat. It's the first piece of team apparel they wear and it signifies a new beginning for the player, the franchise, and its fans. That visual has become a central part of the draft ceremony over the years thanks in part to some big-name quarterbacks who have commanded attention. Advertisement Back in 2012, when New Era first started making the NFL's sideline and draft hats, the Indianapolis Colts had to replace Peyton Manning. They drafted Andrew Luck out of Stanford No. 1 overall, then Washington traded up to No. 2 and selected Heisman Trophy winner and eventual Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III from Baylor. New Era senior director of licensed management Tim Shanahan (he's not related to Mike and Kyle, we asked) says that draft marked a key moment for the brand most known for being Major League Baseball's official hat maker. New Era had worked with the NFL decades prior on 'general fan gear,' but 2012 marked its first year as an official partner with visibility on television broadcasts. 'It was exciting. It was a huge thing for the company because previously the business was mainly dominated under MLB business,' Shanahan said. 'The NFL, getting on the field was kind of the beginning of us getting into a lot more licensed (products). Also it was the first time we really got our branding on the sidelines. The New Era flag was not on the MLB hats at the time (it eventually made its debut on MLB hats in 2016 and the World Baseball Classic in 2017), so it was real exciting at that time to be not only official, but get our flag and brand out there and get that recognition and association with the NFL.' Last year, the draft provided yet another highly-touted quarterback combo with the top two picks. The Chicago Bears drafted USC's Caleb Williams first overall, then the Washington Commanders drafted yet another Heisman winning quarterback and the eventual 2024 rookie of the year, LSU's Jayden Daniels. Both star quarterbacks were handed dark graphite 59/50 fitted caps with their new team logos on the front that seemed to pop off the hat. The hats also featured a little local flare stitched on the side. Williams and Daniels' initial moments and key adjustments for proper fit and swag with their hats were captured with a mirror camera to let fans watching the NFL Draft share in the first moment it was placed on their heads, charging their respective fan bases with hope. The #NFLDraft Cam is both a brilliant bit of sponsorship between the @NFL + @NewEraCap and a cool piece of tech. The setup is comprised of a @RED_Cinema Komodo 6K camera behind a two-way mirror at the 'hat pedestal' in the walkway between the Green Room and the Draft Theater. — Brandon Costa (@SVG_Brandon) April 27, 2024 'We really (liked) that (three dimensional look for the logo) especially on stage and how it looks, so that's why we kind of went to a more dark base across all teams (for 2024),' Shanahan said. 'And then to add some extra flavor to it, it was the first time in a while that we started to be really hyper local so every team had an individual unique side hit. A state with a slogan and an image of something that's unique to that fanbase. That was kind of what we were aiming for. Simplistic look, but adding a nice kind of unique flavor per market.' Advertisement New year. New draft. New hat. Those have been the rules since New Era took over the NFL's headwear, creating new NFL Draft hats every season in a design process that takes about a year and a half to finalize. Those hats are seen live on the Draft Day stage and the home viewing parties of select prospects who are mailed a package with all 32 hats so they can eventually grab the one corresponding to the team that drafts them. Every NFL Draft hat design from 2012-2024. (Photos: New Era) 'Internally, we have a design team that comes up with individual concepts based off of what's trending, in both fashion and (with) fans. We'll put some general concepts together, review internally and then once we get to a direction that we really really like, then we review with the NFL,' Shanahan said. This year's top two quarterback prospects, the University of Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado University's Shedeur Sanders, likely won't go one and two overall like Luck and Griffin in 2012 or Williams and Daniels in 2024, but the intrigue of which hat they'll put on remains. The 2025 NFL Draft hats debuted last month, with a few key differences from previous years. For the first time since New Era took over making draft caps, the 59/50 fitted, the base hat model for MLB and the NFL, won't be the cap handed out during Thursday's first round. That's not for lack of popularity according to New Era, which says its NFL 59/50 hats remain top sellers and an evergreen product. The hats handed out to draft picks this year will be 'A-Frame fitted.' 'It's still a fitted cap but the A-Frame has a pinched front at the top and the panel is flat so you don't have the seam embroidered, so it's a little bit more of a flat surface and an open surface and kind of comes up to a little more of a point on the top of the hat,' Shanahan said. Advertisement The 2025 NFL Draft hats will feature olive branch designs on the rims and individual pins for each team. The decision to move away from a frequently remixed 59/50 norm that had been working for over a decade came from internal research of current trends. 'We're looking at what's trending and what's out there,' Shanahan said. 'We started first with the silhouette. We knew A-Frame was trending huge over the last year just from a lifestyle perspective and now … its hit that peak where it's still lifestyle but it's hitting more of the wider audience … become more mainstream. We thought it was a great time to elevate that and bring that to the stage of the NFL. 'We thought (the olive branch was) a cool little unique treatment that makes it seem a little bit more premium to add that extra element on the visor. Then we went with a really basic look from a front panel, team name, city name … and then the last finishing touch was building upon last year's side hit with a pin on the cap. Pins have been trending. You've seen it in other areas like Crocs. It's a little higher end.' New Era's NFL hats provide a different type of billboard effect when it comes to seeing star draft picks and veteran players wearing their product on their heads. Whereas in baseball the hat is part of the uniform and will be seen on the field of play for the entirety of a game, football is different. Players are seen in their hats on draft day and then that footage goes off into the NFL Films ether. On game day, players and coaches are only seen with the hats when they are not playing and on the sidelines. 'Given that obviously baseball you get such great visibility with 162 games across a long season … but from the NFL, while not (as) many games …. all the social clips that are out there, replaying of games, and media, so the exposure is not just the game but it just continues throughout the whole week. Obviously head coaches and quarterbacks are our prime targets because they're where the camera is always on, but definitely what we get from (the) NFL is really great on that side. A quick huddle to go over a play on a tablet between players and coaches can be its own mini ad according to Shanahan. 'It's amazing. Fans they do say, I want the cap that coach X and X is wearing or so and so player is wearing,' Shanahan said. 'It definitely translates down to the consumer for sure.' Advertisement But it's the draft hat that plays a symbolic role in a player's journey, and the importance of it is felt by the people behind the hats, as well. 'You finally see your work come to fruition. A year and a half in development, testing, everything and finally to see these players that are going to be possible future hall of farmers down the line wearing them…it is cool,' Shanahan said. 'You kind of get lost in it, but when you see that (draft pick) Thursday night wearing it, it all comes to life.' The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top photo of team hats being brought into the 2012 NFL Draft:)
