Any time Jim Irsay was asked if he wished he had a son, the former Colts owner and CEO answered the same thing every time.
"No, I wish I had six girls!"
Why? Simple. Irsay recognized his daughters gave him a perspective – about both life and football – he, as a man, couldn't have. He fully dedicated himself to empowering his daughters in every way possible, teaching them the ins and outs of the Colts franchise and fueling them with the knowledge to succeed in anything they put their mind to.
In 2025, that preparation became legacy.
Following Irsay's passing in May 2025, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Kalen Jackson and Casey Foyt quickly rose to the forefront of the NFL as they became joint owners of the Colts. Irsay-Gordon took on the role of Owner and CEO, Jackson became Owner & Chief Brand Officer as well as President of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation and Foyt was named Owner and Executive Vice President.
Immediately, they were in the spotlight. Every word was scrutinized, every public appearance was analyzed, every decision was judged.
And yet, they weren't affected by any of it. All three had served as Vice Chair/Owners for the last 14 seasons and were fully equipped to take on all of their new responsibilities. Irsay-Gordon had been on the sidelines with a headset listening to play calling for years – but no one noticed until she became one of the faces of the franchise and someone to blame when things went wrong.
On Tuesday during the NFL Women's Forum at the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Irsay-Gordon and Jackson shared how they have navigated the upper echelons of the professional sports world and stayed confident in themselves, imparting their knowledge on the 39 women at the invite-only forum looking to break into the NFL.
The NFL Women's Forum, now in its 10th year running at the NFL Combine, aims to connect women currently working in college football with owners, general managers and coaches and other executives in the NFL and college football programs. The participants invited to the forum gain valuable insight into coaching, strength and conditioning, player personnel, team operations, football administration, research and strategy, video and equipment through various panels, presentations and roundtable discussions.
Eight of the 11 current full-time female coaches in the NFL attended the NFL Women's Forum, and 40% of women who have attended the forum have landed jobs in the NFL or in college football.
Irsay-Gordon and Jackson spoke for an hour in a panel format hosted by Pat McAfee and answered questions about everything from Kicking the Stigma and their girls flag football initiatives to Irsay-Gordon's presence on the sidelines and in meetings to creating the Harriet P. Irsay Fellowship in honor of their grandmother. They emphasized the importance of asking questions – Irsay-Gordon referenced learning everything about scouting, play-calling and more – and staying involved in not just the Colts organization, but the Indianapolis community.
Their message was simple: ask questions, stay involved, lift up those around you and lead with purpose. Empower others to see their potential, and you will find yours.
"It's completely normal for humans to fear change and new things," Jackson said. "And I'm sure when this forum first started, or when women first started making their way into coaching roles or scouting roles, there is a period of shifting. Doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do. I think that's something else our dad instilled in us a lot, is you do the right thing, whether it's the popular thing or not. You're always going to do the right thing."
After all, a significant source of the Irsay sisters' inspiration comes from their father. The sisters have been and continue to be encouraged and invigorated by Jim's support, and one of their biggest priorities is to emulate that going forward.
"I think if we are able to bring anything close to what he was able to bring to this city, we will be lucky to have that legacy," Jackson said. "I would add that we hope that this part – women standing up for women and creating these types of opportunities, I also hope that that's something that I know that he believed in too, but he wasn't a woman. I think it's just a different dynamic that we hope that that's part of our legacy as we move into these new roles and into this leadership opportunity as women."
