Amy Adams Strunk

Amy Adams Strunk (born September 29, 1955) is an American businesswoman best known as the controlling owner of the National Football League's Tennessee Titans. The daughter of the late owner Bud Adams, Strunk owns half of the Titans franchise, with other members of the family owning the remaining half. The team is currently owned under the banner of KSA Industries, which also owns many of Bud Adams' businesses. Before Strunk took over as controlling owner in 2015, the role belonged to her sister, Susie Adams Smith, whose husband Tommy Smith was team president and CEO.

Amy Adams Strunk
Born (1955-09-29) September 29, 1955[1]
Houston, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Texas at Austin
OccupationControlling Owner of the Tennessee Titans, co-chairman of Board of Directors
Spouse(s)Bill Hunt
Children3
Football career
Tennessee Titans
Position:Principal owner
Career history
As executive:

Early career

Strunk initially attended Pine Manor College but transferred after a year to the University of Texas at Austin,[1] graduating with a degree in history. Born into extreme wealth, Strunk is also involved with her family's other businesses, which includes Bud Adams Ranches, Inc., and is also the president of Kenada Fox Hounds, a fox-hunting organization, and the Little River Oil and Gas Company.[2]

Owner of the Titans

Strunk initially inherited a third of the Tennessee Titans upon her father's death, with another third going to her sister, Susie Adams Smith, and the last third to Susan Lewis, widow of their brother Kenneth S. Adams III (who died in 1987),[1] whose shares are also split with their sons Kenneth S. Adams IV and Barclay Adams. Following two tumultuous years with Smith as controlling owner and her husband Tommy as the chairman, the family decided to pass the mantle down to Strunk.

Within a couple of years, Strunk and Kenneth IV hired longtime business partner Steve Underwood to replace Tommy Smith as team president and CEO and replaced general manager Ruston Webster with Jon Robinson.[1] Strunk was the representing owner for the Titans during a 2015 league vote.[2][3] In 2016, Strunk was appointed to the NFL's Hall of Fame committee, and was also named to the Board of Trustees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[4] Due in large part to Strunk’s organization of the Titans 2018 uniform reveal event in downtown Nashville, the NFL granted Nashville the honor of hosting the 2019 NFL Draft.[5] After bringing the Draft to Nashville, Adams was awarded the 2019 Tennessean of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.[6] On December 12, 2020, it was announced that Susie Adams Smith would sell her share of the Titans to the family-owned KSA Industries.[7] This gives Amy Adams Strunk 50% share of the team, with the other 50% still owned by Kenneth Adams IV, Barclay Adams, and Susan Lewis. Amy Adams Strunk retains controlling ownership.

Unlike her father, Strunk and her nephew have been actively involved with promoting the Titans around Nashville and has been more receptive to feedback from fans and the team's other shareholders.[1] In fact, many fans now affectionately call her by the nickname “Mom.”

Other NFL female owners

She is one of a handful of female NFL owners, including Sheila Ford Hamp (Detroit Lions), Virginia Halas McCaskey (Chicago Bears), Kim Pegula (Buffalo Bills), Carol Davis (Las Vegas Raiders), Denise DeBartolo York (San Francisco 49ers), Gayle Benson (New Orleans Saints), Janice McNair (Houston Texans), Jody Allen (Seattle Seahawks), and Dee Haslam (Cleveland Browns). All except Ford Hamp, Haslam, Pegula and York inherited their teams upon the death of their spouse, parent, or other family member.

Personal life

Strunk is an avid equestrian and fox-hunter.[8] Her first marriage ended in divorce in 1990, following a long period of depression that followed her brother's suicide.[1] Her second husband, cattle breeder Tim Strunk, died in a 1997 auto accident.[1] Her current husband Bill Hunt is a former commercial airline pilot. They have residences in Waller, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee.[4] She has three grown children from two previous marriages, Tracy Thompson, Tommy Thompson, and Blanche Strunk.

References
  1. Schoenfeld, Bruce (November 5, 2018). "Amy Adams Strunk brought her father's team back to life". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  2. Kuharsky, Paul (March 26, 2015). "So who is Amy Adams Strunk?". ESPN. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  3. Wyatt, Jim (March 25, 2015). "Goodell: Working to get Titans under 'proper ownership structure'". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  4. "Amy Adams Strunk". Tennessee Titans. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  5. Knoblauch, Austin (May 23, 2018). "Nashville, Tennessee Titans to host 2019 NFL Draft". NFL.com. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  6. Wyatt, Jim (June 14, 2019). "Titans Owner Amy Adams Strunk to be Recognized as 2019 Tennessean of the Year at Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  7. "Titans to remain in control of Adams family after owner Amy Adams Strunk's sister sells share of team". NFL.com. December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  8. Lang, Anne (September 24, 2009). "Kenada Fox Hounds Honors The Sport With Tradition And A Hearty Dose Of Texas Flair". The Chronicle of the Horse. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
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