Carlie Irsay-Gordon: Prepared for Criticism in the NFL

Stephen Holder May 21, 2026, 06:00 AM ET Close Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic. Follow on X

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48818826/indianapolis-colts-owner-carlie-irsay-gordon-learned-key-lesson-3rd-grade)._