Reggie Wayne had a special relationship with Jim Irsay, who went beyond being the owner of the Colts and into a familial realm with the Ring of Honor wide receiver.

Wayne, who's now in his fourth year back with the organization as wide receivers coach, said Irsay's death last week, to him, was "like losing a family member."

"It was times where I felt like J.I. treated me like I was one of his sons, even though he didn't have any," Wayne said. "It's kind of funny because that's part of the conversation me and Edge (Edgerrin James) had – it was like we were his sons. Like, he would have done anything for us. So, when you lose something like that, it definitely shocks the soul."

Wayne spoke to the media on Wednesday to share his memories, stories and perspective regarding Irsay. But as he answered the last question he was asked – centered around what he hoped current players on the Colts should know about Irsay – he was overcome with emotion.

"I told the receivers," Wayne said, wiping back tears. "I said, 'A lot of y'all don't really know him. He would have done anything for anybody. He would have gave the clothes off his back.'

"I said, 'Y'all don't really know him.' And luckily, like all (of) them dudes, they've just been here, right? So, you don't know nothing else. But I said, 'He cared about his players. He cared about his team, cared about the city.' And it wasn't just the players, he cared about people in the building. Like, he was that dude.

"And I told them, I said straight up, 'Man, y'all don't really know him, but y'all got to push your (butt) for him because he would have did that for y'all.' So yeah, that's what I told them.

"I said, 'Man, y'all got homework to do, man. Like read about him, learn about him, so you really know the type of person he was.'"

Several Colts veterans were fortunate enough to really know the type of person Irsay was. Among them who shared their perspectives and stories on Wednesday were cornerback Kenny Moore II (with the Colts since 2017), defensive end Tyquan Lewis (2018), defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (2020) and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (2020).

Here's some of what each player said on Wednesday:

Kenny Moore II

"Being able to see him after games — any interaction the team has had with Mr. Irsay and his family has been beautiful. I think his spirit and his energy was always felt. I know we'll do a good job honoring him."

"I began to realize over my career that this was his life. It's what he always wanted to talk about — the glory days and how he wanted to re-live those moments again. I think that's, as a player, that's our task every day to go out and make sure we get that for him."

"I think every time that I spoke to him, he was like, if you need anything just let me know. I think as a player, knowing that things were taken care of if it ever came that time that you needed a question answered or you wanted something done, it was always his task and his leadership was always felt."

"I had a deal go on, one particular season, I had a death in my family before we played a team and he was able to align some travel to where I was able to see my family for just that day. I was able to attend the funeral on a work day and just giving me that time to go back and see my family and have that time with a death in my family, that's something that'll always be important for me. Because not all times we can be around family — we know the sacrifices we make as players in this league. But having a family-oriented guy and having a guy that values certain moments like that, I was able to live that moment. I'm forever thankful and that's something I'll cherish each day."

Tyquan Lewis

"After the games, whether we won or lost, Jim was always with us. He'll stroll in and if we won or lost, whether it was a big win or a huge loss, it was always about the players. That was the thing I loved the most about Jim — it was always the players, the team, the organization, the family."

Lewis also pointed to a powerful moment in 2021, when after beating the New England Patriots in December, Irsay dedicated the game ball to center Ryan Kelly and his wife Emma, who tragically lost their daughter Mary Kate that month. And Lewis also mentioned Irsay, after the Colts' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to end the 2024 season, giving game balls to two retiring longtime staffers: Assistant video director John Starliper and senior head athletic trainer Dave Hammer, both of whom were with the Colts for their inaugural season in Indianapolis in 1984.

"Just having an owner like Jim was amazing," Lewis said. "I'm forever thankful for him."

DeForest Buckner

"Mr. Irsay meant a lot to our team, our organization, myself personally and obviously our community. He was a great man and he did a lot of great things for a lot of people, and he always thought about others first, and that's what I got from him. When I got traded here in 2020, just the conversations we had over the phone, after games, it was always — how can I help. And as a player, feeling that love from an owner makes you want to play for the organization even harder. He's definitely going to be greatly missed."

"When I first got here, that was one of the big selling points is how it's a family-run organization, and it feels like family. And that's the feeling I've got since Day 1 when I got here. Just from a personal standpoint, the experiences I've had, he's always trying to figure out ways to help the team and what can he do to help us elevate our game. All he cared about was to bring a great product to the field for the fans. He really cared about the fans, the people that supported us, and that's going to be greatly missed."

"Even after our tough losses over the years, just having those conversations with him, his belief and faith in us that we'll be able to get it turned around meant a lot. I can't talk for other owners around the league, but sometimes when you get in those situations it's easy for them to be like, we've got some great pieces here, but we gotta clean house. He just had that much faith in us that we'll be able to get it turned around, and that meant a lot."

"As a player, when you have an owner that appreciates you and is all in with you and cares deeply about you and your success, it makes you want to play even harder. Obviously with his passing, definitely want to dedicate this season to him and putting a great product on the field — something he would be proud of, and the city of Indianapolis will."

Michael Pittman Jr.

One of Pittman's fondest memories of Irsay came after the Colts beat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football – in a "bomb cyclone" – in October of 2021: It was when Irsay began singing "We Will Rock You" in the visiting the locker room of Levi's Stadium.

"That was probably one of the funniest, best moments I've ever had. He will be sincerely missed. We're going to do everything we can do to honor him in every single way."

"He really grew up in this team. He preached that the Horseshoe is bigger than everyone. And he really poured everything he had into this place, and making it the best place possible. And just the way that he treated people — you would think somebody of his status would just kind of delegate everything else to everyone because of his stature, but he really wanted to be in here doing everything with us, and I feel like that's what really made him special."

"There's some times where we're all down, we might've just lost and we're like wow, everything's going bad. And he walks in and he gives us a really nice speech. And he never had any bad talks — everything was always positive, everything was always building. 'Hey guys, we're getting to this, just keep on working.' That's really what you want from a guy that runs our team. You don't want him to come in crashing on everybody, because that's not very fun."

***

We'll end here at the beginning of Wednesday's Colts press conferences with head coach Shane Steichen, who took the podium to deliver an emotional statement about a man in Irsay he will always hold in extremely high regard.

"I'd like to start off, condolences to the entire Irsay family, Carlie (Irsay-Gordon), Kalen (Jackson), Casey (Foyt), their spouses, Zach (Gordon) Boyd (Jackson), Anthony (J. Foyt IV), all the grandkids. Prayers and thoughts with them during this time. A lot of you guys knew Mr. (Jim) Irsay really well and covered this team for a long time. I was with him for two years. Phenomenal human being. You guys know how generous he was. I told the team last week, every time I talked to him – in the building, on the phone, every time he would always tell me at the end, 'Coach, whatever you need for this team, this organization, we got you.' That was the man he was. And just thoughts and prayers with all of them through this time for sure. We're going to honor this season for Jim, and we're going to win for Jim this year, for sure."

Steichen and Irsay quickly bonded when they met in a Philadelphia hotel room for a four-hour conversation early in 2023, when Steichen was in the process of interviewing for the Colts' head coaching position.

"We talked for a long time about everything – the team, philosophy, his passion," Steichen said. "He'd tell me stories from 1986 and 1990 and he went back and knew everything, but just a phenomenal, phenomenal human being."

Steichen said he's "indebted" and will "forever be grateful" for Irsay believing in his ability to be an NFL head coach – but he also is appreciative for Irsay's football knowledge. Irsay became the youngest general manager in NFL history when the Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984, and Steichen described him as a "football guy" – rare air for the owner of an NFL team.

Like Wayne, Steichen was asked what he hopes his team understands about Irsay. His response was fitting for the legacy Irsay leaves not only on the Colts, but on the city of Indianapolis.

"Just the generosity, how much he cared," Steichen said. "For an owner like him to be involved as he was with the football aspect – dating back, hearing the stories before I even got here, we had these shirts made up for him. He was a weight room guy. He used to go in the weight room and lift with the players and create that bond, which was special. Just how much passion he had for the Horseshoe. We'd always talk about the Horseshoe. We represent the Horseshoe in this building, outside this building, in the community. I think he left the city of Indianapolis in a really good spot."