Ron Springs, best known for his time spent playing for Ohio State, passed away Thursday as a result of a heart attack. Springs has been in a coma since 2007 due to a routine surgery that went awry. He played eight seasons in the NFL, the first 6 for the Cowboys, finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner, released a statement today following the news: “Ron’s life will always be remembered by the joy and laughter that he brought to others and the courage and toughness he displayed until the end. Regardless of the circumstances, he always had a smile for everyone. The Dallas Cowboys have lost a wonderful member of our family, and we share our thoughts and prayers with his family.”
A few years after his retirement, Springs was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The disorder led to the amputation of his right foot and two toes from his left, and eventually left him needing a new kidney. His son, Shawn, who played cornerback for both the Seahawks and Redskins, offered to donate him one in 2004. Ron refused, as it would have meant the end of Shawn’s career.
In March of 2006, Springs’ good friend Everson Walls, a legendary cornerback on the Cowboys, donated him a kidney. Just seven months later, while having routine surgery to remove a cyst from his elbow, Springs went into cardiac arrest, slipping into a coma later that week. Though the doctors told his family he would not survive, they chose to keep him alive in hope that he would one day wake up.
In his career, Springs rushed for 2,519 yards and received for 2,259, scoring 28 touchdowns on the ground. His best season came in 1981, as he ran for 625 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He never made a Pro Bowl appearance, but Springs was a consistent fullback that had a fairly high yards-per-carry average every year of his career.
Springs’ wife, Adriane, sued the doctors who performed the cyst removal surgery for malpractice in 2008, claiming that they caused the brain damage that left him in a coma. The outcome of that case is still pending. He is survived by his wife, son, and two daughters, Ayra and Ashley.
