The football community is mourning the loss of a legendary mentor.
John Elway’s former agent and longtime business partner Jeff Sperbeck has died after the pair were involved in a golf cart accident. He was 61.
While the Hall of Fame quarterback was driving back from a Stagecoach Festival post-party on the grounds of a private golf community in La Quinta, California, April 26, law enforcement told TMZ that Sperbeck fell from the back of the moving vehicle and struck his head on the asphalt.
Immediately after the incident, Elway reportedly called 911 and the paramedics arrived to find Sperbeck unconscious yet still breathing. The 61-year-old was then transported to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and was kept on life support with a traumatic brain injury until pronounced dead in the early hours of April 30.
Though police did not respond to the scene at the time, a representative for the Riverside Sheriff’s Office confirmed to NBC Sports that they have opened an investigation surrounding the accident.
E! News has reached out to Elway’s rep for comment but has not heard back.
Elway and Sperbeck had been in business together since 2013 when they started 7Cellars winery together to “create a wine that would live up to [Elway’s] ideals and be a proud representation of his family name.” But long before that, Sperbeck represented the NFL legend’s athletic career for three decades.
"It was so sad, and our hearts just go out to the families,” eyewitness Ali Simon told KESQ of the tragic incident. "We got there, and [Sperbeck] was unfortunately lying on the ground, and there were people surrounding him just trying to make sure he was okay.”
"People were on the phone just trying to get help there as soon as they possibly could,” she continued, adding that the ambulance arrived within just a matter of minutes. “It was so scary, it was nothing like we've ever seen. You just don't think you're ever going to witness anything like that.”
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