Dallas Cowboys Strength And Conditioning Coordinator Markus Paul Passes Away At 54
FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas Cowboys Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Markus Paul passed away Wednesday evening, Nov. 25, the day after he experienced a medical emergency at the team's headquarters in Frisco.
Paul was surrounded by his family at the hospital when he passed away, the team said in a news release.
The cause of death is not yet known.
The medical emergency happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Paul was immediately treated by Cowboys medical personnel and rushed by ambulance to Plano Presbyterian Hospital.
"The organization extends its prayers and support to the Paul family, and the team will recognize and remember Markus, a valued and loved member of the Cowboys Family, prior to the Thanksgiving Day game Thursday afternoon," the team said.
STATEMENT FROM COWBOYS OWNER JERRY JONES:
"The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Markus Paul was a loved and valued member of our family. He was a pleasant and calming influence in our strength room and throughout The Star. His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him great respect and admiration from all of our players and the entire organization. We offer our love and support to his family in this very difficult time. Our hearts are broken for his family and all of the individuals whose lives he touched and made better."
STATEMENT FROM HEAD COACH MIKE McCARTHY:
"We extend our love, strength and support to Markus' family during this most challenging of times and ask that their privacy be respected moving forward. Markus Paul was a leader in this building. He earned the players respect and attention because he cared so much and was a naturally gifted communicator—both on the personal and professional levels. He handled every situation, sometimes with a smile and a pat on the back, and sometimes with tough love. He had innate toughness in a job that requires that quality, and he was admired throughout the NFL by his peers and the players he coached. It was a privilege to work with him as a coach and laugh with him as a friend. Markus did everything the right way."
Paul was in his third season with the Cowboys after previous being a strength and conditioning coach with the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, New York Jets and 12 seasons with the New York Giants.
Paul was part of five Super Bowl championships, three with the Patriots and two with the Giants.
The former NFL safety played for the Chicago Bears (1989-93) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993).
He played in 71 games with 17 starts over those five seasons. He was a fourth-round draft pick out of Syracuse, where he was an AP All-American as a senior in 1998.
Former Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones tweeted Wednesday night, "My heart hurts for the Paul family. It was truly a blessing to be apart of the team you and Woicik led. I will always appreciate the stories and words of wisdom you shared with me over the years. Rest easy, Coach."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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