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Titans owner Bud Adams passed away at age 90

One of the patriarchs of the AFL, Adams and Steelers owner Dan Rooney are two of only four owners to have won 350 games.

By Neal Coolong
Bob Levey

The Steelers recently won the 600th game in franchise history, a mark that hasn't been met by any other AFC team.

Much of the legacy of the AFC stems from the AFL, of which Houston Oilers-turned-Tennessee-Titans owner Bud Adams was a significant part.

Adams, 90, passed away Tuesday at his home in Houston, leaving with him one of the most storied legacies in the history of the NFL. He and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt founded the AFL in 1959.

He joined Steelers owner Dan Rooney, Bills owner Ralph Wilson and Raiders owner Al Davis as the only owners to ever have won 350 games. Adams remained the owner and CEO of the Titans until his death.

The Steelers and Oilers battled in the 1970s in a similar fashion as the Steelers did with the Cowboys and the Raiders.

Adams was responsible for moving the Oilers to Tennessee in 1997, after he and the city of Houston met an impasse in regards to a deal for a new stadium. His franchise played as the Tennessee Oilers for the 1997-98 seasons, then changed the name to the Titans in 1999. They lost that year to the St. Louis Rams in one of the most dramatic Super Bowls of all time.

Adams' Oilers never won a Super Bowl, and neither have the Titans, but Adams' 409 wins are more than any other current owner in the league has.

His death comes just a few days after the death of former Oilers coach Bum Phillips.

Sincere condolensces go out to Adams' family, the NFL has lost one of its true visionaries.

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