Former Cowboy Ron Springs died Thursday at the age of 54. Springs had been in a coma since he went in for what was hoped to be a simple surgery to remove a cyst from his elbow back in 2007. That was just a few months after a heartwarming story involving his old friend and teammate Everson Walls came to light. Springs needed a kidney transplant and was not at the top of the waiting list for an organ, so Walls stepped up and donated a kidney. Though Springs passed much too soon, he and Walls did some really good work in educating on the living donor process as a result of their experience. His son, Shawn Springs, had also offered to end his career in 2006 and donate a kidney, but Ron declined.
↵Springs was a fifth round pick by the Cowboys in 1979 after a college career under Woody Hayes at Ohio State. He played with the Cowboys for six years, then with the Buccaneers for two. He was a part of two division winners and five playoff teams in Dallas, three times reaching the NFC Championship game.
↵