Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was reportedly found unresponsive in his house last month by Carmel, Indiana police as a result of a suspected drug overdose according to initial reports that surfaced last week.
Irsay, 64, was found lying in bed and was cold to the touch when emergency personnel reached him on the morning of December 8th according to a police report.
Officers also noted a number of different medications Irsay had been prescribed but noted it was initially unclear what exact substance he had taken before being found in distress. The specific medications were redacted from the report for privacy reasons.
Irsay was also given Narcan – a medicine used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose – by officers who were first on the scene. Reports said then he was slightly responsive before he was taken to the hospital by paramedics.
Prior to this incident occurring, the Colts stated last week that Irsay was dealing with a "severe respiratory illness” over the course of the last month.
The organization declined to offer any specific response to the news but issued a statement Wednesday afternoon.
"Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness,” read the statement. “We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family's privacy be respected."
The younger Irsay – who inherited the team from his father Robert in 1995 — has had a long history of addiction and has admitted to past usage of opioids and other drugs.
In a November interview with HBO Sports, the current owner of the Colts revealed that he had been to rehab "at least 15 times." Irsay also said he had a near-fatal incident years ago, saying he went "code blue" and had to be revived by paramedics.
"Oh yeah," Irsay said to HBO Sports. "One time, I was trying to detox myself, and I mixed multiple drugs that I didn't know anything about. So all of a sudden, I start slurring my words. And then code blue, I stop breathing. And they revive me and the doctor goes, 'Jim, you're one lucky man because I had virtually signed the death certificate.'"
Irsay’s drug addiction has been well documented in the past. It became common knowledge in 2014 following an incident where he was arrested by Carmel Police for Driving Under the Influence and Possession of Drugs after initially being pulled over after cops noticed a man driving slowly, stopping traffic, and failing to use a turn signal.
Irsay was found to have painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone as well as alprazolam, which is used to treat anxiety, in his system at the time of his arrest. Officers on the scene said he had trouble reciting the alphabet and failed other field sobriety tests which led to his arrest.
The story also took a crazy turn as further drug-related issues came to light when his mistress, Kimberly Wundrum, had died of a drug overdose in a house that Irsay controversially purchased with money belonging to the Colts. He was later fined $500,000 and suspended by the NFL for six weeks due to his off-the-field issues.
At the moment, it is uncertain if Irsay returned to rehab after the recent relapse incident or if he will make a full recovery from his suspected illness. All that is known at the time is he remains in charge of the day-to-day operations for the Colts with no signs of stepping down.