Recently, there were reports that Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, was discovered unresponsive in his home. First responders suspected a possible overdose. According to police documents obtained by TMZ, authorities were called to Irsay’s Carmel, Ind., residence on Dec. 8, where he was found unconscious on a bathroom floor.
Upon arrival, Irsay had been moved to his bed and was experiencing difficulty breathing, with a weak pulse, blue skin tone, and constricted pupils. Initial attempts to revive him with a sternum rub were unsuccessful, but he showed some response after receiving a dose of Narcan, an opioid antagonist commonly used to counteract drug overdoses.
Paramedics took over treatment at the scene before transporting Irsay to a local hospital. The police report categorized the incident as an “overdose” and “overdose/poisoning.” A list of Irsay’s medications was obtained from a caretaker, although it remains unknown what he had ingested prior to the authorities’ arrival.
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Irsay, 64, had been notably absent from public view towards the end of the Colts’ season. The team later announced that he was receiving treatment for a severe respiratory illness, but it is unclear if this illness is related to the December incident at his home.
Jim Irsay has battled drug and alcohol addiction for years, openly discussing it, including in a November interview with HBO’s Real Sports. In that interview, he revealed having been to rehab “at least 15 times” and surviving an overdose during a self-detox attempt.
Taking charge of the Colts’ day-to-day operations in 1995 after his father’s stroke, Irsay, at age 37, assumed ownership two years later when Robert Irsay passed away. The Colts concluded the season with a 9-8 record, missing the playoffs after a loss to the Houston Texans in Week 18.
