Clemson, S.C. -- Jamey Rootes, a starting All-ACC midfielder on Clemson’s 1987 National Championship soccer team, who later became the longtime president of the NFL’s Houston Texans, passed away Sunday in Houston, Texas. Rootes lettered as a freshman on Clemson’s 1984 National Championship team, then was a starting midfielder on the 1987 National Championship team. He is one of just five student-athletes in any Clemson Olympic sport to letter on two different national championship teams. As a senior in 1987, Rootes was named an Academic All-American by CoSIDA and the NSCAA. He was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll three of his four years at Clemson. After graduating from Clemson in the spring of 1988, Rootes earned his MBA at Indiana University, where he also served as an assistant soccer coach. Rootes later became the general manager of the Columbus (Ohio) Crew of the MLS. When the Houston Texans were granted an NFL franchise, owner Bob McNair hired Rootes to be the team’s first president. Rootes served in that position for 20 years until he resigned in February of 2021. Rootes had recently accepted a position at Rice University to become the department head for the school’s sports management program.