K.S. "Bud" Adams in 2009. Photo from Cherokee Nation

Bud Adams, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and owner of the Tennessee Titans, died on Monday. He was 90.

Adams, whose uncle, W.W. Keeler, served as chief for two decades, was born on tribal territory in Oklahoma. He was a successful businessman who founded the American Football League, which later merged with the National Football League.

"In 2000 he received the highest honor awarded by the Cherokee National Historical Society for his support and dedication to the preservation and promotion of Cherokee culture," the tribe said in a press release. "A member of the 'greatest generation,' we also recognize and honor his sacrifices as a veteran of World War II who fought to protect our freedoms, as so many Cherokee men of his generation did."

Adams died at his home in Houston, Texas.

Get the Story:
Titans owner Bud Adams has died in his Houston home of natural causes,’ he was 90 years old (AP 10/21)
Bud Adams, Founding Owner of N.F.L.’s Titans, Dies at 90 (The New York Times 10/22)