Scouting assistant paralyzed

Updated medical information was provided today on the three Dallas Cowboys staff members who remain hospitalized following Saturday’s accident.

Scouting assistant Rich Behm (33) sustained a fracture to the Thoracic spine (10th Thoracic vertebrae). The fracture caused a severing of the spinal cord at that level causing permanent paralysis from the waist down. He underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture last night and remains in stable condition at Parkland Hospital.

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis (43) sustained a fracture of one of his cervical vertebrae (C-7/T-1). He remains in stable condition without paralysis at Parkland Hospital. Surgery to stabilize the fracture is scheduled for Monday morning.

Assistant athletic trainer, Greg Gaither (35) sustained a fracture to the tibia and fibula in his right leg which was surgically repaired last night at Baylor University Medical Center. He should be released later this week.

Statement from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones:
“To the Behm family we extend our love, comfort, and the full support of every person and resou rce within the organization. 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.

“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.”