“John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31st,” the post read. “His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.”
Who was John Brenkus?
Known for fusing high-level science with sports entertainment, Brenkus helped launch Sport Science in 2007. First airing on Fox Sports before moving to ESPN, the series used motion-capture, physics modeling, and real athlete testing to explore sports’ most jaw-dropping feats from the torque of an NFL tackle to the vertical leap of NBA stars.
The show won six Emmy Awards and was widely praised for making complex biomechanics engaging and understandable for general audiences.
Beyond television, Brenkus was a co-founder of Base Productions and launched Brinx.TV, a digital network built around live sports commentary and interactive fan content. His podcast, The Brink of Midnight, focused on life’s turning points, often exploring themes of resilience and reinvention.
The fight against depression
But behind the lens, Brenkus battled darkness that fame and accolades couldn’t fix.In a candid interview with former NFL player Marcellus Wiley in January 2023, Brenkus revealed that after selling Sport Science and moving to Park City, Utah, he spiraled into what he described as a “deep, deep depression.”
“I was flat-out suicidal,” he admitted. “So much so, I had a noose tied around my neck. I was ready to do it.”
It was his dog, Zepplin, who intervened in that darkest moment. “He pulled on my jeans and pulled me out of it,” Brenkus said, crediting the German Shepherd with saving his life.
Brenkus later found solace through therapy, eventually relocating to Virginia, where one psychiatrist helped him find what he described as “the right path.”
“I have never been depressed since, a day in my life, from that moment forward,” he told Wiley.
Tributes from across the sports world poured in. “RIP,” wrote Wiley, adding prayer and heart emojis. ESPN remembered Brenkus as “an innovator, an entertainer and an educator.”