Many media members around the NFL were struck with some unfortunate news, as former NFL executive and agent Mike Ornstein passed away on Thursday.
Ornstein had close ties with a number of organizations around the NFL, perhaps most notably with the New Orleans Saints serving as the agent for former Saints star running back Reggie Bush. From there, he ultimately worked his way up to becoming the Vice President of Marketing in the NFL.
Jeff Duncan of Nola.com first broke the news on social media, noting Ornsteain’s close relationships with a number of organizations including Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Dennis Allen.
Sad news: longtime NFL executive & agent Mike Ornstein died today at his home in L.A. Ornstein was Reggie Bush’s agent when the Saints drafted him in 2006, & “Orny” remained close to many in the organization, including Mickey Loomis & Dennis Allen. R.I.P. to a true original.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) July 26, 2024
Not only was Ornstein quite close with a number of organizations, but he also seemingly had quite an impact on a number of media members.
Plenty of big names in media around the NFL took to social media to share their condolences for the Ornstein family while also sharing details of their interactions with him.
A friend who was one of a kind. God bless, Orny. https://t.co/4aG9mNb8yO
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) July 26, 2024
So sad.
Orny was everywhere, all the time with a smile and stories for days. He was always great to me when we started NFLNet and always kind to my wife. Rest in peace, Orny. https://t.co/c1vcQ2ZJJs
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) July 26, 2024
Orny, not sure if I’ve ever met a more interesting person. Story time was my favorite time every time I saw you and I always joked I wanted to write your story for Netflix. You had 9 lives. This is so sad 💔 pic.twitter.com/GZKepOPn4v
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 26, 2024
Can’t tell you how many times we took the same flight from LAX to MSY and back for Saints games. I will miss seeing him and our football talks while waiting to board. RIP 🙏🏾
— stan verrett (@stanverrett) July 26, 2024
Hard to describe this man. On the investigative beat, we had some near-fistfight exchanges. And he did threaten – jokingly (maybe) – to bump off myself and @JasonCole62. And then we forged a great relationship. You had to know Orny to understand it. I’ll miss him. RIP, brother. https://t.co/HM8XvQ1iAq
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 26, 2024
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.