Jeff Sperbeck, business partner and former agent for former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, died Wednesday. He was 62.
Sperbeck’s death was confirmed by the Riverside County Sheriff, who relayed the information as part of a press release Wednesday. The release said Sperbeck sustained an injury in La Quinta, California, on Saturday and died Wednesday at a medical center in Palm Springs, California. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the situation.
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According to multiple media reports, Sperbeck was injured after falling out of a golf cart and hitting his head on asphalt. Elway was reportedly driving the golf cart when Sperbeck fell out of the vehicle, according to TMZ and 9News. Witnesses also claimed Elway was driving the golf cart, according to KESQ News.
Elway released a statement Wednesday mourning his friend, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
“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 two men and their wives reportedly attended the Stagecoach music festival Saturday, and were leaving a post-event party at the time of the incident. The incident, per 9News, took place at the Madison Club, a private golf resort community, in La Quinta. Sperbeck sustained the injury at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, per the sheriff’s release.
CAL FIRE told KESQ News it responded to a call Saturday involving an individual who fell from a golf cart.
“It was a reported fall from a golf cart and the patient was transported to a local area trauma center in unknown condition,” a CAL FIRE spokesperson told News Channel 3.
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Sperbeck was reportedly unconscious but still breathing when responders arrived, per TMZ. No other injuries were reported in the incident.
“We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Jeff Sperbeck,” Sperbeck’s wife, Cori, and their family said in a statement, through ESPN. “He was a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and friend to many and will be profoundly missed by all. We are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends the Elways and the many other clients Jeff called friends. We are grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support that we have received and ask for privacy for our family at this difficult time.”
Sperbeck served as Elway’s agent during his 16-year NFL career. Elway played his entire professional career with the Broncos, winning two Super Bowl titles with the franchise. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Following his playing career, Elway joined the Broncos as an executive. He was the team’s general manager and later its president of football operations before becoming a consultant for the franchise. That agreement ended in 2023, concluding Elway’s time with the team.
In 2015, Elway and Sperbeck co-founded 7Cellars, a winery in Rutherford, California.
