Soccer world reacts to death of longtime MLS, NFL executive Jamey Rootes

Longtime MLS and NFL executive Jamey Rootes passed away on Sunday following a battle with mental health issues, his wife announced through a Facebook post on Monday.

In the post, Melissa Wildgen Rootes noted that her husband "was a dedicated Houstonian who loved his city and touched so many lives through his professional, academic and philanthropic work." 

The post also announced that "a celebration of Jamey's life will be announced at a later date," and closed with information about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Formerly the Team President and General Manager of the Columbus Crew from 1995 to 1999, Rootes moved on to the NFL to become the first President of the Houston Texans in 2002 with a recommendation from then Crew owner Lamar Hunt. In 2003, he became the Founder and President of Lone Star Sports and Entertainment, a third-party event marketing company closely affiliated with the Houston Texans, that brought high-profile soccer matches to Houston's NRG Stadium.

Rootes spent two decades with the Houston Texans and LSSE before resigning in February and April 2021, respectively. A few months later in June, he was announced by the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash as club CEO prior to taking a leave of absence just over two weeks into the position due to personal reasons. 

Most recently, Rootes was serving as a Professor of Practice - Sport Management at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, just an hour's drive north of Houston, and just last week was announced as a new addition to Rice University’s Department of Sport Management as the head of the newly created Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics.

Testimonies have come from all over the sports landscape, from executives to athletes, commemorating the late Rootes who passed away at 56.

"I join the entire Major League Soccer community in expressing my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jamey Rootes following his passing," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said through his social media channels. "Jamey was always a friendly face, an exceptional businessman and a passionate advocate for our game. His welcoming spirit will be deeply missed across our league and his lasting impact on soccer in North America will not be forgotten.

"I am grateful to Jamey for the amount of time he invested in this Club in the early days. I am terribly sorry for his loss and extend the Club’s thoughts and prayers to his loved ones during this difficult time," said current Columbus Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko as part of a longer public statement.

Rootes played college soccer at Clemson University. He was a starting midfielder on Clemson’s 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament championship team.

He went on to serve as a graduate assistant and volunteer coach at the Univeristy of Indiana to former head coach Jerry Yeagley. One of the players on that team was now Columbus Crew head coach Caleb Porter.

"My heart, and I think I speak for the club, the club's heart goes out to his family," said Porter. "He was a good man, a good friend and did a lot for soccer and football in this country. It's a sad day in that regard."

"I worked for Jamey for seven years & learned so much from him," Zac Emmons, Houston Dynamo FC Vice President of Marketing & Communications and former EVP of Communications at the Houston Texans, shared via Twitter. He changed my entire perspective on sports. A great mentor, a great motivator & later a great friend. #WWJRD still helps me solve problems."

"In large part because of Jamey Rootes, Houston became one of America’s top soccer cities," said Jose de Jesus Ortiz, Our Esquina Founder and former Houston Chronicle soccer writer. "The track record Reliant Stadium built under his leadership is a major reason FIFA knew Houston was worthy of hosting games during the 2026 #WorldCup. He was also a former Columbus Crew GM."