Former Kansas City Chiefs star Elvis Grbac was named the “Sexiest Athlete Alive” as a result of a “series of miscommunications” – with the accolade bestowed upon him after a case of mistaken identity.
The retired quarterback, who appeared in the NFL across nine seasons, was People Magazine’s pick for the honor back in 1998. He was a starter at Arrowhead Stadium for four seasons – with Rich Gannon gaining Grbac’s place for much of his final year in Missouri after he sustained an injury.
It is believed that the powers-that-be at People had actually meant to name Gannon as their pick for the “Sexiest Athlete Alive” gong. That is according to a report from the New York Times back in 2020, which claimed that Grbac himself was surprised to have been named as the magazine’s pick.
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Chiefs PR director Bob Moore recalled how the situation played out, saying: “We got a phone call referencing that Elvis Grbac was in line for Sexiest Athlete Alive. To which a number of us were surprised. But I would suppose the most surprised person was Elvis.
The humble quarterback later addressed the decision to name him as the sporting world’s best-looking man for 1998 as he claimed: “There’s guys in that locker room that are 10 times better-looking than I am.”
Ex-People staffer Jennifer Wulff recalled that there was confusion in the newsroom when pictures of Grbac appeared – as it became clear that there had been a mix-up. She remembered: “The photos came back and the interview came back. One of the editors said, ‘This is the guy?’. “Then we were looking it up and figured out that it was the other quarterback.”
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Former NFL quarterback Elvis Grbac was left surprised to have been named as the winner of the accolade (
Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
“And then it was too late. They felt so bad,” Wulff continued, as her embarrassment at the situation was clear even after the passing of over two decades. She added: “We couldn’t cancel it at that point. It would be so mean.”
Eventually, People decided to honor their choice as they featured the Chiefs ace in the magazine as the “Sexiest Athlete Alive”, alongside quotes from his old Michigan coach, who said: “He’s just a regular guy. I never pictured Elvis as a ladies’ man, while his wife also added: “His personality makes him sexy.”
Recalling the odd scenario, Chiefs center Tim Grunhard also described his thoughts on Grbac, saying: He was a very matter-of-fact guy. He was a very serious person, while the player’s former agent Jim Steiner said of his old client: “He was not a guy that wanted to be in the limelight or attract a lot of attention.”
Grbac went on to star for the Chiefs until the year 2000, before spending his final season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. The retired quarterback ended his career having won the Super Bowl once – with the San Francisco 49ers.
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