Titans owner Adams dies
Tennessee Titans owner K.S. "Bud" Adams died Monday morning of natural causes in his Houston home, the team announced. He was 90.
Adams co-founded the AFL and owned the Houston Oilers since their debut in the league in 1960, through their move to Memphis in 1997 and then Nashville, where they became the Tennessee Titans.
Adams and Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson were the last surviving original AFL owners. Adams' Oilers won AFL titles in 1960 and '61.
"I am saddened to hear the news of the passing of Bud Adams. As original AFL team owners, we all shared a common bond and a deep sense of pride in where we started in 1960 to where the NFL is today and how much our fans enjoy the game of professional football," Wilson said. "Bud certainly played an important role in the growth and development of our game and today I am remembering with great fondness all the laughs we shared with the special memories over the years."
The Oilers were the first football team to play indoors at the Houston Astrodome. They played there until their controversial move to Tennessee. The Titans reached the Super Bowl in the 1999 season.
He accumulated more wins than any other current NFL owner with 409. The 400th occurred against the Houston Texans in the 2011 regular-season finale.
"We are sad to hear about the passing of Titans owner Bud Adams," Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder said in a statement. "I will never forget when I first bought the Redskins how gracious he was and the passion that he had for pro football. It was wonderful to be one of his friends."
Adams also owned the Houston Mavericks of the ABA from 1967-69 and the Nashville Kats of the Arena League from 2001-07.
"Bud Adams played a pivotal role in the growth of pro football as a pioneer and innovator," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "As a founding owner of the American Football League that began play in 1960, Bud saw the potential of pro football and brought the game to new cities and new heights of popularity, first in Houston and then in Nashville. He was an brilliant entrepreneur with a terrific sense of humor that helped lighten many a tense meeting. His commitment to the best interests of the game and league was unwavering, and his personal along with the team's impact in community relations and philanthropy set a standard for the NFL. Bud was truly a gift to the NFL. We extend our deepest sympathy to his daughters Susan and Amy, and the entire family."
He is also survived by seven grandchildren.
