Reggie Wayne has tearful message after Colts owner Jim Irsay's death
Members of the Indianapolis Colts organization are still grieving late owner Jim Irsay's death.
On Wednesday, a tearful Reggie Wayne, former Colts receiver and current wide receivers coach for the team, talked to the media about Irsay's character and his impact on the team.
"He would have did anything for anybody," he said. "He really gave the clothes off his back.
"He cared about his players. He cared about his team. He cared about the city. And it wasn't just the players, he cared about people in the building. Like, he was that dude."
Wayne also lamented that younger players didn't get the chance to know Irsay before his death. He said that he told the Colts' current receivers they have "homework:" reading and learning more about the late team owner.
Wayne spent his entire 14-year playing career with the Colts and was a big part of the 2006 team that won Super Bowl 41.
In 2018, a few years after his retirement, the former wideout worked as a voluntary receivers coach for Indianapolis. He was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor that same year. Four years later, in 2022, the team hired him as its full-time wide receivers coach.
The Colts announced Wednesday that they will hold a private memorial service for Irsay on Monday, June 2. The team also plans to hold a more public service, which it will announce "at a later date."
On Tuesday, the Colts announced plans to wear a jersey patch featuring Irsay's initials and signature throughout the 2025 season.