Colts owner Jim Irsay suffered OD last month: report

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is believed to have suffered an overdose early last month when local authorities found him unresponsive.

The 64-year-old businessman, who spoke candidly the month prior about battling addictions to alcohol and pain pills, was struggling to breathe and had a weak pulse when Carmel (Ind.) Police found him in his bed at around 4:30 a.m. local time on Dec. 8, according to documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

Authorities responded to the residence after they were called about an unconscious Irsay being found on the bathroom floor, at which time, his skin was said to be blue, the outlet reports.

“He responded slightly” after he was given a dosage of Narcan, which “rapidly reverses an opioid overdose,” per the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The drug was administered after authorities tried other methods to rouse Irsay, including an unsuccessful sternum rub.

Paramedics then “took over lifesaving efforts,” before an ambulance transported Irsay to the hospital, per TMZ.

“At this time, it is unknown what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to our arrival,” officers reportedly wrote in the documents, after a caretaker detailed Irsay’s medications. Authorities classified the incident as an “overdose” as well as “overdose/poisoning,” according to TMZ.

In a November episode of HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” the self-described “rich, white billionaire” opened up about struggling with substance abuse, which landed him in rehab no less than 15 times. He also spoke about a previous overdose.

“I was trying to detox myself and I mixed multiple drugs that I didn’t know anything about and so all of a sudden I started slurring my words and then code blue, I stopped breathing,” recalled Irsay. “And they revived me, and the doctor goes, ‘Jim, you’re one lucky man because I had signed, virtually, the death certificate.'”

News of Irsay’s suspected overdose comes after the Colts announced in a statement last week that he was “being treated for a severe respiratory illness” and, as a result, would have to forego a previously scheduled appearance, TMZ Sports reported at the time.

“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 stage as soon as possible,” said the team, referencing the Jim Irsay Band, for which he is the frontman. “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.”