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Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway broke his silence after the death of his longtime agent and business partner, Jeff Sperbeck, following a golf cart accident involving the two men over the weekend.
“I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck," Elway said in a statement re-shared by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday (April 30). "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.”
Sperbeck, 61, who was previously reported to have a prognosis of "not good" and doctors reportedly notified his family that "there's no hope he will recover," according to TMZ, was confirmed to have died from injuries sustained, according to the Riverside County (California) corner in a statement obtained by ESPN on Wednesday. The agent was riding on the back of the cart driven by Elway -- who was seated next to another business partner -- before falling off and hitting his head on asphalt at The Madison Club, a private country club in La Quinta, California.
Elway reportedly called 911 and Sperbeck was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, according to TMZ. Elway and Sperbeck had attended Stagecoach music festival earlier in the day with their wives and had left a party just prior to the accident occurring.
Sperbeck, who worked as a sports agent for 30 years, represented Elway in the 1990s prior to launching a winery called 7Cellars, a reference to the quarterback's jersey number, as business partners. Elway, 64, retired after leading the Denver Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories, which included winning Super Bowl XXXIII MVP in his final appearance. The former No. 1 overall pick ranks 12th in NFL history with 51,475 yards and 14th with 300 touchdown passes.