Cowboys Scout Rich Behm Paralyzed After Bubble Collapse
by Dave Halprin on May 3, 2009 7:01 PM CDT
in Dallas Cowboys News
Email
Print
It looked like things were going to be okay after the indoor practice facility collapsed on Saturday. Today, we learned things were not. Cowboys scout Rich Behm is paralyzed from the waist down after his spinal cord was severed in the accident. In a statement from the team:
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.
Incredible sadness.
Best wishes for scout Rich Behm somehow seem totally inadequate at a time like this. His life is forever altered. This story went from unbelievable, to a lucky escape for all, to a tragic accident that has permanently paralyzed someone.
A little more about Rich Behm from Todd Archer at the DMN blog.
48 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
When something happens like this...
It really hits you that life is so much bigger than the game of football. We spend so much time worrying about wide receivers and who is going to be the nickel linebacker, and now all of that just seems so inconsequential.
I can’t even start thinking right now about this season, about how this team is going to play. I am still in complete shock over what happened yesterday. The sight of players and coaches desperately cutting away canvas and pulling mangled metal off of people just breaks my heart.
It’s hard to imagine how the players and coaches will be able to move on anytime soon.
My thoughts are with Mr. Behm.
Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.
My God...
….This is painful….
…thanks for everything in service of this mere game that brightens all of our lives…
…doesn’t mean much, but you can count on Jerry to step up and do everything in his power to take care of this man and his family from here on out.
I would like to put forth a motion for Rich Behm.......
to be an honorary captain at all home games this year.
maybe just maybe that would make him smile at least once a week.
I don’t know. I like everyone else just don’t really know what else to say.
Sad Day At Valley Ranch
things like this make you remember football is just a game;
my prayers are with those injuried.
Hey guys I know the trash talking gets out of hand sometimes, but I just wanted to let you know that even us Eagles fans give our best wishes to Behm and all others who were affected by this scary incident.
Some people were making jokes when this initially happened, and although I was not one of them I want to apologize on behalf of anyone who made insensitive comments. In their defense, most people didn’t know there were injuries when the comments were made. Either way best wishes and let’s keep this rivalry alive this season. Go Eagles.
"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." -Joe Theismann
Second that emotion
from a diehard Giants fan.
My best wishes to Rich and his family.
Football is football
My prayers to Rich Behm and coach DeCamillis.
I bleed green and I piss silver and blue
+10
Thoughts and prayers to Rich Behm, coach DeCamillis, Greg Gaither, and all others personally affected by this. Best wishes.
"I think if you go low on Runyan, he may drop the knee somewhere. So I think you have to stay high and just let him baptize you. That's probably what I would do. You know when you go backwards and your head hits first and you wake up as if somebody baptized you or blessed you? I think that would be Runyan right there, all day, every day."
- Titans' cornerback Cortland Finnegan
by #1EaglesFan on May 4, 2009 2:16 AM CDT up reply actions
This puts the frailty of human life in perspective.
May God be with Rick Behm and his family.
It is sad sad sad, my prayers are with him and his family
Rich’s life just got turned upside down. He is only 33. Football is just a game. I dont know what else to say, except that I feel sorry to all the clueless people making fun on different blogs about cowboys and god and so forth, they shoud all be ashamed of themselves. I dont know how the team will respond, it will be awfully tough to concentrate, but I hope they show a resolve and make us all proud we are cowboys fans.
My prayers are with you Rich and Family
I remember the Fg kicker coach for the Dolphins many moons ago was paralized and was an excellent coach and a real hard ass from his chair. Keep your chin up Rich there is sooo much left to do.
Cowboys Forever
This is all pretty tough to take in, pretty tough to imagine what the families are going through right now.
Don’t know what else to say. I’m just glad the surgeries went well and am now hoping for miracles.
Go Pacquiao!
Words all seem to ring hollow
right now. This is a young man seriously injured through no fault of his own. I looked at that wreckage and thought it was a miracle that everyone escaped with no serious injury. Now we know how wrong that was.
I appreciate the comments from the other teams fans. I pray the Brehm family stays strong.
"He has a peculiar felicity of expression." John Adams
Very sad.
I hope and believe that Jerry will take care of Behm and his family as he goes through what will surely be a difficult rehab and adjustment period, and I am sure that his job will be waiting for him when he is eventually ready to return. Tough tough blow.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
What can you say
about something like this. I’ll be praying for Rich and his family.
Oh no
Just heard the sad news. I had hoped everyone was lucky enough to escape without permanent injury.
Thoughts and prayers going out to Rich Behm and his family.
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
what a tragedy
hopefully the Cowboys will dedicate the season to Behm and rally around this tragedy.
In Romo we Trust
Sobering start to a seaon say the least.
I guess we should be thankful there was no loss of life but damn. God help Rich Behm and Joe DeCamilis and their families at this time.
I'm speechless....
…I just had to go thru the same thing with my 18 y/o bro last fall.
Man… once the spinal cord is touched, it’s all over with. I hope when Coach Joe gets his surgery, that it comes out alright. Somtimes, when they have to remove part of the broken bone fragments, it’s just barely on the spinal cord.
My thoughts and prayers are with Rich & Joe [keep ya’lls heads up], and their families, who now must step up, & be there emotionally/physically.
Hooah.
I don't believe it's all over with
with all the advances in medical science he may walk again. Just recently scientist using stem cells have recently found a cure for the most common form of blindness. One day he may walk again.
Strange how so many of my friends and I who are Cowboys fans
…take this kind of thing personally, almost as though it happened to a family member.
It really makes you think about how strong the bond is between Cowboys fans, between football fans and between concerned human beings.
This tragedy reminds us that, in some way, we are all connected. I truly believe all the positive thoughts and prayers will serve him and his family well as they try to get through this time of pain and sadness.
"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Very well said
Y’know, as a rabid Giants fan, I have found it pretty easy to work up a healthy dislike for Cowboys players coaches, front office and ownership. Over the course of a bruising NFC East season or in the heat of a Dallas-New York battle, I can even convince myself that anyone who wears the star is deserving of my utmost scorn and contempt.
But when I heard this news, I was devastated. I had never heard of Rich Behm before today. But 5Blings is right. This kind of tragedy has a powerfully unifying effect; it brings together anyone with a heart, regardless of which team they root for on Sunday. You really have to be a miserable S.O.B. to not be moved when you stop and think about this young, hard-working family man who showed up to work one day and – through no fault of his own – had his life altered forever. The awful randomness of this kind of tragedy makes you pause and reflect on how incredibly fortunate those of us are who are able to go through our daily routines without serious incident.
Once again, my warmest thoughts go out to Rich and the entire Behm family.
Well put, 5Blings
… and also thanks to Knicks for the comment…
It is true, we get so into the minutia, it is easy to forget the bigger picture… Here’s hoping for a bright future for Behm’s life and career.
Tar Heels = National Champs in Basketball ... top 5 in Baseball ... Top 10 this year in Football?
Additional update...
From the DMN
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/050409dnspocowlede.2d010fa.html
Some is old and some is new.
By the way, is there anyone out there with biographical info on Coach Joe & Rich, like married, how many kids, etc.?
I found this on Behm from Matt Mosely.
I’ve known Rich and his brother, Chris, since I started covering the Cowboys in 2003. Rich, 33, was a vital part of the team’s videography department before recently becoming a scouting assistant. He put his video skills to work in splicing film of college players across the nation and played a valuable role in preparing for the ‘09 draft. He and Chris, who works in the club’s TV department, are constantly at Valley Ranch. They might as well be on the roster because players such as Terence Newman and Tony Romo hung out with them all the time. In fact, Romo was one of the first players to show up at the hospital Sunday.
This is obviously a huge shock to the Behm family, but I’ve been told that Rich is already showing a remarkable amount of optimism in his Dallas hospital room. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Wade Phillips were seen in the waiting room late Saturday night and Jones returned Sunday morning.
Behm is father of two boys (8 and 6) and a baby girl. It’s unfathomable that he could’ve arrived at work Saturday morning just like so many other days and had his life altered forever. Every time I pass him in the halls of Valley Ranch, he always has a quip ready about something ridiculous I’ve written or said on the radio. I know it will be a long haul, but I’m looking forward to seeing him back on the job.
Go Pacquiao!
by Aaron Novinger on May 3, 2009 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks Aaron, nice clip
and exactly what I was about to go looking for…
What a solid guy to already be optimistic 24 hours later…
Tar Heels = National Champs in Basketball ... top 5 in Baseball ... Top 10 this year in Football?
Good luck to all involved in Sat. Morning
Like I’ve already seen wroten here ALL of our thought and prayers go out the those who lives will NEVER be the same.
Rich Behm...
In just the blink of an eye his life is changed forever. It’s almost unthinkable. I really hope that Jerry does all that he can to help Rich and his family. I’m sure the medical expenses will be excessive.
I hope Joe DeCamillis will be okay as well. I was really looking forward to seeing what he could do with the special teams this year and I imagine he will have to be off his feet for awhile after the surgery. Either way let’s hope the surgery is a successful one without any further complications.
0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.
Is there someplace to send cards or donations?
Does anyone, Dave, Raf, or others, know if there is something set up to send cards or donations to Rich, Coach D, and their families?
by Baked Potato Soup on May 4, 2009 8:20 AM CDT reply actions
Thoughts and prayers
are with Rich and Joe and their families along with all those who are probably still shaken up and stunned by the accident. It’s a terrible tragedy.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
