Heavy storms crumble Cowboys practice facility, scouting assistant paralyzed in aftermath

AP Photo/Tony Gonzalez


DALLAS- The Dallas Cowboys just released a statement updating the status of the three people injured in the horrible collapse of their practice facility yesterday. Dallas Morning News writer Todd Archer, who was also inside the facility during the chaos and had to have help to escape the wreckage posted the following on his blog: Rich Behm, a scouting assistant, sustained a fracture to the thoracic spine that caused a severing of his spinal cord and permanent paralysis from the waist down. He underwent surgery Saturday night and remains at Parkland Hospital in stable condition.

Behm moved from the team's video department to scouting a few years ago and worked closely with Chris Hall, the team's college scouting coordinator, and director of college and pro scouting Tom Ciskowski.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones and coach Wade Phillips spent a large part of Saturday night/Sunday morning with the Behm family. More coaches and players visited the hospital today.

"To the Behm family we extend our love, comfort, and the full support of every person and resource within the organization," Jones said in a statement released by the team." 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."

The release also stated special teams coach Joe DeCamillis will undergo surgery Monday for a fracture of one of his cervical vertebrae. He is in stable condition without paralysis at Parkland Hospital.

Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither had surgery Saturday to repair a fracture of his right tibia and fibula at Baylor University Medical Center. He should be released later this week.

Here is the rest of Jones' statement: "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 tomorrow.

"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 yesterday afternoon.

"The Dallas Cowboys organization would like to express its deepest appreciation to the City of Irving's Fire, Police and medical emergency teams that collectively responded to the accident in the most timely and thorough manner yesterday. We are also grateful to those Cowboys players and staff members who acted so quickly and heroically in the face of personal danger to help those around them who were in need of immediate assistance."