John Brenkus health struggles explored as sports science founder passes away

John Brenkus, the creator and host of the Emmy-winning ESPN series, Sports Science, has died at the age of 54. His passing was announced with a statement posted to his official X account, and it was disclosed that he had been suffering silently with depression.

He eventually lost the battle to depression on May 31, 2025. The statement did not reveal the cause of death but noted that depression was a major factor.

While many of his fans were familiar with the vocal and vibrant John Brenkus, behind closed doors, he was fighting an extremely personal and painful fight. Brenkus detailed his lowest points in a 2023 interview on Dat Dude TV on YouTube, hosted by former NFL player Marcellus Wiley.

In the interview, he described falling into a “deep, deep depression” when he settled in Park City, Utah, after selling his company and entering a state of personal and professional change.

"You know the isolation that you feel liliving in a mountain town the cold weather injuries things not going right I spiraled into a deep deep depression and I was flat out suicidal so much so I had a noose tied around my neck I was ready." He said during the interview.

He attributed his dog named Zeppelin for breaking up the attempt and saving his life. From there, Brenkus stated that he started to get help, going through six mental health professionals before meeting a doctor he called Dr. Cindy, who provided lasting support.

At that time, he said that meeting Dr. Cindy changed his life’s course, and he had not been depressed since he got treatment that finally worked for him.

"And ever since that day where I found Dr Cindy... He led me down the right path we found a solution and I have never been depressed a day in my life from that moment forward." He said.

A look into John Brenkus' early career and legacy

Born in 1971 in Washington, D.C. and raised in Vienna, Virginia, John Brenkus developed an early passion for both sports and science. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Brenkus worked in media during the late 1990s, first as the writer/producer of short films and music videos.

According to Mabumbe, his career changed forever when he co-founded BASE Productions and developed Fight Science for the National Geographic Channel, paving the way for Sport Science.

Trending

Sport Science, which premiered in 2007, redefined the sports broadcasting scene with its analysis of athletic performance through scientific methods. The show switched to ESPN in 2010, earning six Sports Emmy Awards and including more than 1,800 segments.

In his later years, John Brenkus also went on to create Brinx.TV, a digital media platform with a focus on sports innovation and storytelling.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback