Jim Irsay 911 call unearths new details about Colts owner's health scare: Report
Indianapolis Colts team owner Jim Irsay reportedly suffered a health scare on Dec. 8 in what was called a respiratory illness. New details, including the 911 call and the police report, reveal what happened that day.
The Indianapolis Star reported Thursday that Pete Ward, the Chief Operating Officer of the Colts, apparently called emergency services after he was alerted that Irsay was unresponsive at 4:30 a.m. He told the operator that he believed that Jim Irsay was suffering from congestive heart failure and said that a nurse was with him at his home.
“We have a gentleman who is unresponsive,” Ward said on the 911 call. “He is breathing, but is bluish in color and we believe that he may be having congestive heart failure.
“Someone’s snoring. I have his nurse here, his oxygen saturation number is 71. He is breathing. It’s a snore.”
Irsay was apparently barely conscious when paramedics arrived at his home. According to the police report of the incident, Jim Irsay was given Narcan, a popular overdose reversal drug, which made him more responsive.
The Indianapolis Colts owner has struggled with addiction in the past and what emergency personnel believed was the cause of his medical emergency in December.
According to the New York Post, the police report also noted that Irsay showed possible signs of an overdose:
“At this time, it is unknown what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to our arrival.”
While the Colts continue to stand by Irsay's health issues due to congestive heart failure, the report suggests emergency responders were quite adamant that it was due to a possible drug overdose.
How long has Jim Irsay owned the Indianapolis Colts?
Jim Irsay's father, Robert Irsay, became the owner of the then-Baltimore Colts in 1972. Jim attended Southern Methodist University, and after he graduated in 1982, he joined the NFL organization as a member of the front office staff. Two years later, he was named Colts general manager and vice president.
In 1995, Robert Irsay suffered a stroke and was unable to run the team. Jim then added Chief Operating Officer to his job title and was in charge of the team's day-to-day decision-making.
After Robert Irsay passed away in 1997, he fought for team ownership with his stepmother. He ultimately won and became the youngest NFL owner at just 27.