Fred Smith, a former minority owner of the Washington NFL franchise and the founder of FedEx Corp., a prominent sponsor across the landscape of sports, has died. He was 80.
Smith, the father of former Atlanta Falcons coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, owned a portion of the Washington franchise from 2003 until 2021.
"The Washington Commanders mourn the passing of Frederick W. Smith, FedEx founder and executive chairman," the Commanders said in a statement. "Mr. Smith was a highly respected philanthropist and innovative businessman whose investments once included a minority stake in our team.