Colts owner Jim Irsay dead at 65

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Longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has died at the age of 65, the team announced on Wednesday.

Irsay's father purchased the team in 1972 when they still played in Baltimore for $12 million and moved the team in 1984.

Irsay was the general manager of the team from 1982 to 1996, and became the NFL's youngest owner, at age 37, shortly after his dad's death in 1997.

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Jim Irsay attends 15th Annual HOPE luncheon seminar honoring Michael Phelps at The Plaza on November 10, 2021 in New York City.  (Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Irsay had several health issues over the years, and battled drug and alcohol addiction, once admitting he had been to rehab "at least 15 times."

The Colts announced in January of last year that Irsay was being treated for a "severe respiratory illness" – that February, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was "on the mend."

"It's a long road and you have to be patient. The great news is everything is going well," a hospitalized Irsay said that March after he underwent a procedure on his right leg.

Irsay said at that point, he had undergone "26 surgeries over the last seven years."

Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay speaks during a ceremony honoring former player Tarik Glenn during halftime of the game between the Washington Commanders and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

In December 2023, police were called to Jim home around 4:30 a.m. ET and found him in bed unresponsive and cold during what authorities called a "suspected overdose."

But, "It