Jeff Sperbeck, a longtime friend, agent and business partner to Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, died early Wednesday, four days after the 62-year-old fell from a golf cart reportedly driven by Elway in a private golf community in La Quinta.
TMZ reported that Elway was allegedly driving the golf cart in the Madison Club community on Saturday night when Sperbeck fell from the back of it and hit his head. Sperbeck was breathing but unconscious when paramedics arrived after someone called 911. He was taken to a Palm Springs medical center and put on life support, according to TMZ.
The Riverside County Fire Department told The Times on Wednesday that paramedics responded to an emergency call in reference to a person who had fallen from a golf cart in the 53200 block of Humboldt Boulevard around 6:50 p.m. Saturday. The paramedics reported to the department that the patient had serious injuries and that they transported the person to a local trauma center.
Sperbeck was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m. Wednesday at Desert Regional Medical Center, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it was informed of the incident on Monday and opened an investigation.
“At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and no details are available,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Sperbeck represented more than 100 NFL players during his 30 years as an agent and business advisor. He became the manager of Elway’s marketing and business activities in 1990. The two men founded 7Cellars winery together and Sperbeck served as the chief executive.
Elway played 16 NFL seasons, all for the Denver Broncos. He led the team to five Super Bowls, with wins in the final two following the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Later, as the Broncos’ general manager and executive vice president of football operations, Elway helped the team make two more Super Bowl appearances, including a victory following the 2015 season. He was a consultant to the Broncos when his contract expired in 2023.
