Jeff Sperbeck, longtime business partner and former agent for Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, died following an incident with a golf cart that Elway was reportedly driving at the time.
Sperbeck, 62, fell off the back of the golf cart at a La Quinta, California, golf course around 7 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Riverside County Coroner.
He died just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, after having been on life support at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, according to the coroner.
The Scripps News Group in Denver learned through multiple informed sources that Elway was behind the wheel at the time of the incident.
The incident happened at the Madison Club, a private country club.
In a statement obtained by ESPN, John Elway said, “I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck. There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me. My heart and deepest sympathies go out to Jeff’s wife, Cori; his children Carly, Sam and Jackson; and everyone who knew and loved him. Jeff will be deeply missed for the loyalty, wisdom, friendship and love he brought into my life and the lives of so many others.”
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident and told the Scripps News Group it had just learned of it on Monday afternoon.
Sperbeck was a longtime business partner of Elway's, first serving as his agent and later taking over his business activities, according to Sperbeck's biography on the website for 7Cellars winery, which the pair started together in 2013.
He represented more than 100 NFL players over three decades as an NFL agent, according to the site.
Elway won two Super Bowls and made nine Pro Bowls during his 16-year career with the Denver Broncos. He was named NFL MVP in 1987. He later spent 10 years as an executive with the team, most recently as general manager from 2013-2020.
The Scripps News Group reached out to the Broncos organization for a statement, but had not heard back at the time of this article's posting.
This story was originally published by Landon Haaf with the Scripps News Group in Denver.
