Share
Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
IRVING — The shocking collapse of the Dallas Cowboys’ indoor practice facility during a severe storm Saturday, turned tragic for a scouting assistant who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed.
Rich Behm, 33, was in stable condition at Parkland Memorial Hospital on Sunday after surgery to stabilize a fracture to the thoracic spine.“To the Behm family we extend our love, comfort, and the full support of every person and resource within the organization,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “Rich is a courageous member of our family and someone for whom we care deeply. We ask for all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join us in embracing him and his family with their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.”Behm was among 12 people injured Saturday and one of three Cowboys staff members who remain hospitalized.Joe DeCamillis, 43, the team’s new special teams coach, suffered a fracture of one of his cervical vertebrae but is not paralyzed. He was in stable condition at Parkland and scheduled for surgery today.Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither, 35, had surgery Saturday night to repair a fracture to the tibia and fibula in his right leg. He is expected to be released from the Baylor Regional Medical Center later this week.“As we share concern for everyone who was touched by this accident, we also extend our heartfelt and best wishes to Coach Joe DeCamillis and his family as they prepare for Joe’s surgery,” Jones said. “We are grateful that Greg Gaither’s surgery was successful, and we feel blessed that others involved were able to walk away from this accident after receiving medical attention.”Dan Reeves, DeCamillis’ father-in-law and longtime NFL coach, said everything is going as well as can be expected and the family is hoping and praying for the best.“If they have him stabilized enough, he’s supposed to have [back] surgery [Monday],” Reeves said. “We certainly want everybody praying for him. It’s a powerful thing. They’re doing a lot of testing, making sure everything is OK.”Reeves reiterated that “we’re lucky he’s not paralyzed....”Jones, who returned early from a trip to the Kentucky Derby to survey the destroyed facility Sunday morning, made hospital visits Sunday along with coach Wade Phillips and players and personnel.“I’m just sad it happened,” tackle Marc Colombo said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We are going to rally behind them this year.”The incident occurred on the second day of a three-day rookie minicamp. Sunday’s final day of practice was canceled.The coaches spent most of the day meeting with players, trying to answer their questions and calm fears after a horrifying experience.The Cowboys expressed pride in the players on Saturday as many helped with the search and rescue, lifting doors and steel poles off trapped people.They were also thankful that it didn’t happen during a full-fledged minicamp, when more than 80 players would have been in attendance along with support staff, coaches and media.
@Nyx.CommentBody@