John Elway's Sister Twin Sister Died After a Painful Health Struggle
The retired Denver Broncos player was very close to his sibling during their youth.
Published Dec. 23 2025, 12:56 p.m. ET
The new Netflix documentary featuring John Elway is responsible for bringing the former Denver Broncos quarterback into the spotlight once again. Beyond the limits of the field, audiences don't know much about one of the darkest chapters from the athlete's life.
What happened to John's twin sister? Here's what we know about the tragedy that surrounded the former NFL star's sibling, and how it affected his family all those years ago.
What happened to John Elway's twin sister?
According to an ESPN report, Jana Elway-Sever died after a long battle with cancer. Details about the tragedy aren't available online, but it was stated that the process that took the woman's life wasn't easy.
Every cancer case is different from one another. While some people recover, others aren't so lucky. Unfortunately, Jana's life was lost. Tragedies surrounded the Elway family in 2001.
Jana's death is not the last instance in which John suffered back then. The player's father, Jack Elway, died only a few months before his sister did. Jack was suspected of having died of a heart attack.
One loss is hard enough to handle. It must have been tough to endure such heavy losses in a short span of time for John and the rest of his family.
Family members can be a blessing. The father of the twins once said, "Even as little kids, I can remember John crawling on the floor by himself and looking around to see where Jana was and crawling right over to her. And then the two of them would start jabbering at each other in that special language twins have.''
John Elway leaves an impression through his Netflix documentary.
It is fashionable to talk about John once again. Netflix has produced a documentary centered on the life and career of the former Denver Broncos player. The streaming platform's production allowed more people to take a moment to learn about what the athlete accomplished.
The social media age moves fast. Thanks to the success of the documentary, the public became more interested in John's life, and that includes the tragedy that forced him to say goodbye to his sister.
John's NFL career is impressive. The quarterback won two Super Bowls, making a name for himself in the most important football game of the year. The second of these Super Bowls took place in 1999, when the Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons in a dominating display.
A career such as this one deserves acknowledgement. John was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame thanks to his numerous accomplishments on the field.
Years after losing his sister, John continues to impress people from all over the world with his story. The Netflix documentary just served as a reminder of how resilient the brave Denver Broncos quarterback turned out to be over the course of his career.