Former Colts general manager Bill Polian
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Irsay. Eileen joins me in sending our heartfelt condolences to Carlie, Casey, Kalen, and the entire Irsay family. We owe Jim and his family a debt of gratitude we can never repay.
I was privileged to share a wonderful friendship with Jim, which began long before I worked for him and lasted until this sad day.
For those of us fortunate enough to be part of the Colts family, Jim was a tremendously supportive, incredibly knowledgeable, and personally caring leader. His focus on family extended well beyond his immediate family to his much larger Colts universe. His concern and generosity toward former players and employees is well known among those of us who part of the organization.
When Jim assumed leadership of the Colts, he shared his goals with us. He wanted the Colts to compete for and win Super Bowls. He wanted the organization and all who worked for it to be good, upstanding, and contributing citizens of the Indianapolis community. And he wanted the “horseshoe” to be a symbol of excellence and civic commitment throughout the sports world. As an owner, he modeled himself after the stalwarts of the NFL, such as Wellington Mara, Dan Rooney, and George Halas. He wished to carry on their tradition of excellence on the field, while putting the betterment of the league at the forefront of all we did. He succeeded on all counts!
Jim’s legacy is not only the Lombardi Trophy and Lucas Oil Stadium. It includes in greater measure, the respect, admiration, gratitude, and affection from all of us who proudly wore the horseshoe for Jim. May he rest in peace.”
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