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Commanders Commemorate Passing of Ex Owner and FedEx Founder originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Fred Smith, former Washington Redskins minority owner and FedEx founder died over the weekend. He was 80 years old.
The father of former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith owned a piece of the Redskins and later the Washington Football Team from 2003-21.
"The Washington Commanders mourn the passing of Frederick W. Smith, FedEx founder and executive chairman. Mr. Smith was a highly respected philanthropist and innovative businessman whose investments once included a minority stake in our team. He also proudly served our country in the US Marine Corps. We send our sincere condolences to Mr. Smith's family and loved ones, as well as our friends across the FedEx organization." The Commanders wrote in a statement.
In 2003, Smith purchased a minority share of the team from Dan Snyder. Smith, Robert Rothman and Dwight Schar eventually owned 40 percent of the franchise before selling their shares in 2021.
While Snyder was adamant about keeping the "Redskins" name, Smith became disenchanted with the majority owner in 2020. Smith was in favor of a name change, and FedEx, which had the stadium naming rights, issued a press release saying it had informed the team it wanted it to change the name.
In November 2020, the three minority owners sued Snyder in federal court, saying he interfered with a pending sale of their shares to investors willing to pay $900 million.
The team eventually changed its name to the Washington Football Team in 2020 before changing to the Commanders in 2022.
In 1999, FedEx signed a 27-year deal worth $205 million for the naming rights to the Washington NFL franchise's stadium. FedEx severed the agreement two years early in 2024 after Snyder sold the team to a group led by current owner Josh Harris. FedEx has a separate partnership with the team that remains in place.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
Fred Smith, former Washington Redskins minority owner and FedEx founder died over the weekend. He was 80 years old.
The father of former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith owned a piece of the Redskins and later the Washington Football Team from 2003-21.
"The Washington Commanders mourn the passing of Frederick W. Smith, FedEx founder and executive chairman. Mr. Smith was a highly respected philanthropist and innovative businessman whose investments once included a minority stake in our team. He also proudly served our country in the US Marine Corps. We send our sincere condolences to Mr. Smith's family and loved ones, as well as our friends across the FedEx organization." The Commanders wrote in a statement.
In 2003, Smith purchased a minority share of the team from Dan Snyder. Smith, Robert Rothman and Dwight Schar eventually owned 40 percent of the franchise before selling their shares in 2021.
While Snyder was adamant about keeping the "Redskins" name, Smith became disenchanted with the majority owner in 2020. Smith was in favor of a name change, and FedEx, which had the stadium naming rights, issued a press release saying it had informed the team it wanted it to change the name.
In November 2020, the three minority owners sued Snyder in federal court, saying he interfered with a pending sale of their shares to investors willing to pay $900 million.
The team eventually changed its name to the Washington Football Team in 2020 before changing to the Commanders in 2022.
In 1999, FedEx signed a 27-year deal worth $205 million for the naming rights to the Washington NFL franchise's stadium. FedEx severed the agreement two years early in 2024 after Snyder sold the team to a group led by current owner Josh Harris. FedEx has a separate partnership with the team that remains in place.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...