HOUSTON — Former president of the Houston Texans, Jamey Rootes, has died.
Rootes' wife, Melissa, shared the news on social media Monday, saying he had been dealing with mental health issues.
Rootes died Sunday in Houston.
"For two decades, Jamey led our business operations with an unwavering commitment to Houston and the Houston Texans," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Jamey's wife, Melissa, and their two children during this extremely difficult time."
The Rootes family is asking for privacy in the wake of his death. They said the details of a celebration of life will be revealed at a later date.
"Jamey was a dedicated Houstonian who loved his city and touched so many lives through his professional, academic, and philanthropic work," wrote Melissa Rootes on Facebook.
Rootes was the first president of the Texans and stayed in that role for two decades. He left the Texans to pursue his interests as a writer, public speaker, consultant and professor at the University of Houston. He also served as a visiting professor at Sam Houston State's Department of Kinesiology.
He also spent time as the CEO of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash.
In August of this year, Rootes joined Rice University's Department of Sports Management to lead the Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sports Analytics.