Jamey Rootes Dies at Age 56; Was Texans' 1st Team President

Jamey Rootes, who served as the Houston Texans' team president from their inaugural season in 2002 through his 2021 retirement, died Sunday at the age of 56.

His wife, Melissa Wildgen Rootes, posted a statement on Facebook, saying his death came after a "battle with mental health issues":

The Texans' ownership group expressed condolences on Twitter:

Rootes oversaw the business operations amid the franchise's early stages of development and also guided the Houston Texans Foundation, which raised nearly $40 million during his tenure, per KRPC's Ninfa Saavedra and Aaron Wilson.

He also helped lead the Texans' philanthropic efforts in wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and served as co-chairperson of the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund.

Rice University announced Friday that Rootes had joined the college's staff to lead the new Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics.

Clark Haptonstall, chairman of Rice's Department of Sport Management, released a statement Tuesday:

"This is a devastating loss for Rice and our Sport Management family. Though Jamey was only at Rice a short time, he had generated unbelievable excitement among our students and was already inspiring them in ways I doubt he could have imagined. He will be greatly missed by us all."

Rootes, a Clemson alumnus, started his sports executive career as president and general manager of MLS' Columbus Crew before joining the Texans. He also served as CEO of MLS' Houston Dynamo and NWSL's Houston Dash for a short time in 2021.

MLS commissioner Don Garber posted a statement Tuesday:

Here's a look at some other reaction from social media:

Rootes was named the Steinberg/DeNicola NFL Humanitarian of the Year in 2020 along with numerous other awards and honors during his nearly three-decade executive career.