It is an honor to be part of this ownership group

[Jin Wah]

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins Denver Broncos ownership group

The former U.S. Secretary of State officially joined the new ownership group of the Broncos on Monday, the team announced. Rice joins the group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton and his family.

“We’re pleased to welcome former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to our ownership group,” Rob Walton said in a statement. “A highly respected public servant, accomplished academic and corporate leader, Secretary Rice is well known as a passionate and knowledgeable football fan who has worked to make the sport stronger and better. She is the daughter of a football coach and served on the inaugural College Football Playoff Committee. She moved to Denver with her family when she was 12 years old and went on to attend the University of Denver for both college and graduate school.

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“Her unique experience and extraordinary judgment will be a great benefit to our group and the Broncos organization."

Rice also served as the national security adviser for President George W. Bush before she was Secretary of State, and was also the Provost of Stanford University.

"It is an honor to be part of this ownership group," Rice said in a statement. "Football has been an integral part of my life since the moment it was introduced to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Broncos organization today. I spent much of my younger years in Denver, so to be able to combine my love of the game with my love for this great city and team is an adventure of a lifetime and a great opportunity."

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Rice is the latest to join the new ownership group, which has agreed to purchase the Broncos for $4.65 billion. That figure sets a record for the sale of an American sports team, more than doubling the previous record set when the Brooklyn Nets were sold for about $2.3 billion. Chelsea FC was sold earlier this year for a record deal worth more than $5 billion.

The Broncos were last valued at $3.75 billion by Forbes, which makes them the 10th most valuable team in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys led that list at $6.5 billion.

The ownership group includes Rob Walton, his daughter and her husband, Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner, and the co-CEO of Ariel Investments and chair of the board of Starbucks Mellody Hobson.

It’s unclear what role Rice will have in running the team. The sale is still pending.

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III died of heat stroke, according to a medical report released on Monday.

The Collin County medical examiner's office ruled Barber's death accidental in a report issued to USA Today and other media outlets. Barber was found dead in his Frisco, Texas home on June 1 when police arrived to conduct a welfare check. A Frisco police incident report obtained by USA Today states that officers were called to the scene when a neighbor reported water leaking from Barber's apartment.

Per the medical report, officers arrived to Barber's apartment to find a bathtub faucet running and the thermostat set to 91 degrees. Police also found workout equipment in the apartment.

"Mr. Barber was known to exercise in sauna-like conditions," the coroner wrote in Monday's report.

Barber's father Marion Barber II told the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram in June that his son's body was decomposing when officers arrived, suggesting that he died several days prior to being found. The police report states that Barber's family had not heard from him for six days prior to the discovery of his body.

Barber "was known to have a history of medical problems and mental health concerns," according to the police report. He was taken by police to a hospital for mental health evaluation in 2014, three years after his final season playing in the NFL.

Barber played seven seasons in the NFL, six of them with the Dallas Cowboys. He played his final season in 2011 with the Chicago Bears. A bruising runner, Barber was known for his downhill running style at his peak with the Cowboys. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after tallying 1,257 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. He played in college at the University of Minnesota.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III," a Cowboys statement from June 1 reads. "Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down. He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion's family and friends during this difficult time."

Barber II told the Star-Telegram in June that the family would not seek CTE testing on his son's brain.

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