LA QUINTA, Calif. — Before the tragic accident, had you Googled Jeff Sperbeck a photo of John Elway would have come up.
It was primarily because of their varied businesses partnerships, from 7 Cellars wine to the Elway restaurants, that this is so. Sperbeck has been Elway’s marketing representative since the latter’s prime as the Broncos’ superstar quarterback in the early 1990s, a relationship that grew into a close friendship.
When Elway was the Broncos’ general manager from 2011-2020, and the team was playing a road game out West, Sperbeck, who lives in Southern California, would almost always accompany him, standing near his side.
The photos of Sperbeck and Elway are more prevalent on Google since the accident, of course.
TMZ reported Sperbeck is on life support after he fell off the back of a golf cart that Elway was driving following a music festival event, Stagecoach, on Saturday.
A source close to Elway said he is devastated by the tragedy involving his close friend.
The accident occurred at the Madison Club in La Quinta, a private golf resort community in which Elway owns a home. According to TMZ, Sperbeck was seated on the back of the golf cart when he fell off and struck his head on the pavement.
It was Elway who called 9-1-1, according to the TMZ report. The local fire department and ambulance paramedics serviced the call. The local sheriff’s department did not respond to the call, although it is now.
“The Riverside Sheriff’s Office was informed of the incident on Monday, April 28th, and opened an investigation,” Public Information Officer Lieutenant Deirdre Vickers stated in an e-mail to 9NEWS, “At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and no details are available.”
Initially, TMZ reported the wives of Sperbeck and Elway were also on the golf cart, and uninjured, but have since reported it was Elway, Sperbeck and Elway’s son Jack who was riding on the cart at the time of the accident.
Sperbeck was found breathing but unconscious and transported to a local hospital. TMZ has been reporting Sperbeck is being kept alive so his organs can be taken for donation.
