Days after the death of former NFL agent Jeff Sperbeck, in a fall from a golf cart driven by his friend and football legend John Elway in La Quinta, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said it appeared to be a “tragic accident.” An investigation to confirm that was still ongoing, however.
Sheriff Chad Bianco also told The Denver Post that no evidence had been found that Elway was driving the cart while drunk.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Madison Club in La Quinta, with celebrity news outlet TMZ reporting that Sperbeck suddenly fell off a cart, hit his head and was brought to a hospital. Sperbeck, 62, died from his injuries early Wednesday at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, according to a coroner’s report.
Although Sperbeck’s fall was on a Saturday, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was not told of it until the following Monday, April 28.
While the sheriff’s department has opened an investigation into the crash, Bianco told The Denver Post on Friday that there was “nothing that we have found” to indicate law enforcement should’ve been involved sooner.
“This appears to be a horrific accident,” the sheriff told the Denver newspaper. “And unfortunately for all of those involved, one of the people — well, a couple of them — happen to be very high-profile celebrities. And that makes this more of an issue than it probably should be.”
Bianco said that medical personnel at the scene did not find any evidence to indicate Elway was inebriated, though he did not share any specific details about how the medical team came to that conclusion.
The sheriff also told the Denver newspaper that witnesses’ statements from the scene had no discrepancies.
“It is common practice for medical personnel, whether it be an ambulance personnel or hospital personnel or even fire personnel, to call us after the scene of an accident because something doesn’t look right,” Bianco said. “And this was not the case.”
Bianco added that the investigation will likely be “relatively short,” with the department reviewing surveillance footage and witness testimony.
According to TMZ’s reporting, the accident happened as Elway, Sperbeck, their wives and Elway’s son were attending a “post-Stagecoach” party at the club, with Elway, 64, calling 911 after Sperbeck fell. (Sperbeck was sitting in the passenger seat before the fall, according to ESPN.)
Former NFL quarterback John Elway playing golf in Nevada in 2024.
Elway, a Hall-of-Famer who won two Super Bowls as quarterback of the Denver Broncos, released a statement to ESPN on Wednesday, saying he was “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,” Elway said. “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.”
In 2013, Sperbeck and Elway launched a winery called 7Cellars together. Sperbeck worked for multiple decades for sports agencies whose clients included former quarterbacks Jim Plunkett and Trent Dilfer, as well as Elway, according to a 2018 article in San Francisco’s Knob Hill Gazette.
Elway, who played his entire pro football career with the Denver Broncos, is considered to be among the best quarterbacks in NFL history. After playing college football at Stanford University, he was drafted in 1983 and played 16 years for the team. He was elected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
ESPN reported Friday that a lawyer for Elway, Harvey Steinberg, released a statement saying in part, “As John grieves this unimaginable loss, we appreciate the efforts of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The investigation has confirmed what we already knew: this was a tragic accident and sometimes things happen in life that we will never comprehend.”
The Madison Club golf course in La Quinta, seen Feb. 4, 2025.
(This story has been updated to add photos and a video.)
This story includes prior reporting by Desert Sun staff.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at tcoulter@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Death of John Elway’s agent likely a ‘horrific accident,’ sheriff says