Jeff Sperbeck, a business partner and former agent for NFL Hall of Famer John Elway, died Wednesday after suffering an injury last weekend at a Southern California golf resort community. He was 62.
No cause of death was released, but the Riverside County coroner’s office said Sperbeck was injured Saturday and the address listed for the incident belongs to The Madison Club in La Quinta.
The Riverside County Fire Department said the agency was called to that location on Saturday after someone fell out of a golf cart. The person, who wasn’t identified, was taken to a trauma center, said department spokesperson Maggie Cline De La Rosa.
The sheriff’s department said it is investigating the golf cart incident.
Elway was at the scene of the crash, witness Ali Simon told KESQ-TV of Palm Springs. Simon said she did not see the accident occur but saw a man lying on the ground surrounded by people and Elway on the phone.
“I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck,” Elway said in a statement Wednesday. “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.”
Elway’s statement did not address his presence at the scene. Per TMZ’s reporting, Elway was the one driving the golf cart at the time of the accident. While Sperbeck fell out of the back of the cart, according to TMZ, there has also been “no indication that [Elway] did anything wrong” while at the wheel.
Sperbeck began managing Elway in 1990, when Elway was quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He represented more than 100 NFL players during a three-decade career as an agent and business adviser.
He was best known as Elway’s longtime friend, business partner and agent who helped manage the Hall of Famer’s extensive off-field business empire, which included restaurants, car dealerships and a winery.
Sperbeck managed Elway’s marketing and business ventures, and the two collaborated with winemaker Rob Mondavi Jr. in 2015 to co-found 7Cellars by John Elway.
He also co-founded Sullivan & Sperbeck, a sports marketing firm that was acquired by Octagon in 2001. Sperbeck directed Octagon’s football division from 2001-09, when he started The NOVO Agency, a sports management firm where he served as CEO and represented dozens of current and retired NFL players and coaches. The agency merged with Rep1 Sports in 2018.
Sperbeck was involved in numerous charitable endeavors.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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