Colts Owner Still Battling Severe Respiratory Illness, Team Says

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck shakes hands with Colts owner Jim Irsay after a news conference following an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, in Indianapolis, on Aug. 24, 2019. Michael Conroy/AP Photo

The Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday released a statement regarding the condition of its owner Jim Irsay, who last month was found unresponsive at his Carmel, Indiana residence and this month missed a performance with his band at a Los Angeles event.

“Jim Irsay is currently being treated for a severe respiratory illness. While this unfortunately means he won’t be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the state as soon as possible,” a Jan. 9 statement from the the football team read, according to Fox News Digital. “We’ll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers.”

Mr. Irsay is part of the Jim Irsay Band, which is comprised of drummer Kenny Aronoff, harmonicist Billy Branch, guitarist Tom Buiovac, bassist and singer Mike Mills, guitarist and saxophonist Danny Nucci, keyboardist Michael Ramos, violinist Carmella Ramsey, guitarist and singer Kenny Wayne Shepherd and guitarist Mike Wanchic. He was scheduled to play with the band and special guest stars on Jan. 11 at LA’s Shrine Auditorium.

A ‘Suspicious Overdose’ in December

This latest statement comes after an incident that occurred last month at Mr. Irsay’s house where he was found unresponsive.

The Carmel police department was called to Mr. Irsay’s home around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 8, after the 64-year-old was found unconscious on a bathroom floor and was described as having a “blue skin tone,” according to TMZ. Police arrived to find Mr. Irsay had been moved to his bed where he was found unresponsive with a weak pulse, cold, and struggling to breathe in what authorities called a “suspicious overdose,” as TMZ Sports reported, citing police documents.

In the documents, police also said that after they administered one dose of Narcan—a drug used to revive people in opiate overdose situations—Mr. Irsay responded slightly. Paramedics arrived and took over the situation to save the billionaire. Mr. Irsay was eventually transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance.

In the documents, officers noted a list of medications Mr. Irsay had been taking, provided to them by a caretaker. However, they acknowledged that it was unknown exactly what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to their arrival. They classified the incident in the documents as both “overdose” and “overdose/poisoning.”

It is unknown whether Mr. Irsay’s more recent hospitalization is related to the medical emergency at his home in December.

Mr. Irsay has been the majority owner of the Colts since 1997, after the death of his father that year. Prior to inheriting the team from his father, he had served as an executive with the Colts since 1984.

A Long Battle With Addiction

In November of last year, the Colts owner was at the center of a “Real Sports” segment, which focused on his addiction to alcohol and pain medication. In the interview with correspondent Andrea Kremer, Mr. Irsay revealed that he’d undergone 15 trips to rehab and had previously suffered an overdose while he was trying to detox himself.

In 2014, Mr. Irsay checked himself into rehab after being arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI), along with four felony counts of possession of a controlled substance. According to another report, Mr. Irsay also had $29,000 in cash when he was pulled over by authorities.

Mr. Irsay’s license was suspended for a year after he refused a blood test. While the felony charges were dismissed, he pleaded guilty to the DUI charge, according to Fox News Digital.