Ron Springs
Encyclopedia
Ronald Edward "Ron" Springs (November 4, 1956 — May 12, 2011) was a professional American football
running back
, who played eight seasons in the NFL
, for the Dallas Cowboys
from 1979–1984, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in 1985-1986. He is the father of NFL cornerback
Shawn Springs
. He also played with Lawrence Taylor
and Mel Gray at Lafayette High School
in Williamsburg, Virginia.
where he played football alongside the former New York Giant and Hall of Fame
linebacker
Lawrence Taylor
, and one of the best return specialist
s in NFL history in Mel Grey.
As a senior at Lafayette in 1974, he rushed for a then-Peninsula District-record 1,876 yards, including 315 in one game.
Springs attended Coffeyville
Community College in 1975, where his 2,047 rushing
yard
s remains a school record.
The following year, he enrolled at Ohio State University
, where he played three years under Woody Hayes
and led the Buckeyes
in both rushing (1,166 yards) and receiving
(16 catches for 90 yards) in 1977. In 1978, he was elected a team co-captain.
Springs was the last Buckeye
with less than 100 yards receiving on a season to lead the team in receptions. He still ranks 18th on the all time rushing list at Ohio State University
with 2,140 yards.
In 2003 he was among the first inductees into Lafayette’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
in the 5th round of the 1979 NFL Draft
.
During his rookie season he was the backup for Tony Dorsett
and played special teams.
In 1980
he put on 10 pounds during the off-season and won the fullback job from Robert Newhouse
, but he was injured in the 5th game and didn't regain the starter position until the next season.
Springs was primarily a blocking back for Hall of Fame
r Tony Dorsett
, but he got plenty of opportunities to run and catch in Tom Landry
's multiple set offense. In this system he thrived as a versatile player that could run, catch, block, and occasionally even throw the option pass.
In 1981
he gained 984 yards rushing and receiving combined and lead the team with 12 touchdown
s and 46 catches. Although his most important role might have been his leadership qualities, that gained him the respect of many people within the Cowboys organization.
In 1983
he set a club record for running back
s with 73 catches for 589 yards, that year he also rushed for 541 yards and scored 8 touchdown
s.
He was released during the 1985
training camp.
Springs was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, where he played his final 2 seasons serving as a backup to running back
James Wilder
.
He retired after the 1986 season
having played in the NFL for 8 years. His career totals were 2,519 yards rushing with 28 touchdown
s and 249 receptions for 2,259 yards and 10 touchdown
s.
in 1990, which led to him having both his right foot and two toes from the left amputated
. In 2004, needing a kidney
, he was placed on the national transplant list. Though his son, Shawn
, offered to end his career and donate a kidney, Ron refused. In 2006, former teammate and best friend Everson Walls
agreed to donate one of his kidneys, and the transplant
took place in March. On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, it was reported that Springs slipped into a coma after going into cardiac arrest while having an operation performed on an elbow cyst the previous weekend. He remained in this state until his death, and his son left his team to be with Ron during that time. Doctors reported in 2007 that there was no chance of Springs surviving; however, his family continued encouraging Ron by talking to him daily. On January 5, 2008, former Cowboy teammate Bill Bates held a charity event to help raise funds for the foundation connected with Ron's illness. Ron's wife, Adrianne, continued to show encouragement to those concerned about Ron's condition, stating that news of the event's turnout might help wake Ron from his coma.
On January 21, 2008, Adrianne Springs filed a lawsuit on behalf of her husband against the two doctors who performed the surgery, alleging malpractice.
Springs died on May 12, 2011, due to a heart attack.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, who played eight seasons in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
from 1979–1984, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in 1985-1986. He is the father of NFL cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Shawn Springs
Shawn Springs
Shawn Springs is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks third overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State....
. He also played with Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
and Mel Gray at Lafayette High School
Lafayette High School (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Lafayette High School is a public secondary school in James City County, Virginia, just outside the city limits of Williamsburg, Virginia. It is part of Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools and is located at 4460 Longhill Road.-History:...
in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Early years
Springs graduated from Lafayette High SchoolLafayette High School (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Lafayette High School is a public secondary school in James City County, Virginia, just outside the city limits of Williamsburg, Virginia. It is part of Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools and is located at 4460 Longhill Road.-History:...
where he played football alongside the former New York Giant and Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
, and one of the best return specialist
Return specialist
A Return Specialist is a player on American football or Canadian football special teams who specializes in returning punts and kickoff returns. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most play other positions as well. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a...
s in NFL history in Mel Grey.
As a senior at Lafayette in 1974, he rushed for a then-Peninsula District-record 1,876 yards, including 315 in one game.
Springs attended Coffeyville
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
Community College in 1975, where his 2,047 rushing
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
s remains a school record.
The following year, he enrolled at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he played three years under Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
and led the Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
in both rushing (1,166 yards) and receiving
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
(16 catches for 90 yards) in 1977. In 1978, he was elected a team co-captain.
Springs was the last Buckeye
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
with less than 100 yards receiving on a season to lead the team in receptions. He still ranks 18th on the all time rushing list at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
with 2,140 yards.
In 2003 he was among the first inductees into Lafayette’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dallas Cowboys
Springs was selected by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the 5th round of the 1979 NFL Draft
1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
.
During his rookie season he was the backup for Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
and played special teams.
In 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
he put on 10 pounds during the off-season and won the fullback job from Robert Newhouse
Robert Newhouse
Robert Fulton Newhouse is a former professional American football player in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys .-College career:...
, but he was injured in the 5th game and didn't regain the starter position until the next season.
Springs was primarily a blocking back for Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
r Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
, but he got plenty of opportunities to run and catch in Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
's multiple set offense. In this system he thrived as a versatile player that could run, catch, block, and occasionally even throw the option pass.
In 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
he gained 984 yards rushing and receiving combined and lead the team with 12 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and 46 catches. Although his most important role might have been his leadership qualities, that gained him the respect of many people within the Cowboys organization.
In 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
he set a club record for running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s with 73 catches for 589 yards, that year he also rushed for 541 yards and scored 8 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
He was released during the 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
training camp.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In 19851985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
Springs was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, where he played his final 2 seasons serving as a backup to running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
James Wilder
James Wilder
James Curtis Wilder is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions.-High school career:...
.
He retired after the 1986 season
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
having played in the NFL for 8 years. His career totals were 2,519 yards rushing with 28 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and 249 receptions for 2,259 yards and 10 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
Health concerns and death
Springs was diagnosed with type 2 diabetesDiabetes mellitus type 2
Diabetes mellitus type 2formerly non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetesis a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. Diabetes is often initially managed by increasing exercise and...
in 1990, which led to him having both his right foot and two toes from the left amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
. In 2004, needing a kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
, he was placed on the national transplant list. Though his son, Shawn
Shawn Springs
Shawn Springs is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks third overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State....
, offered to end his career and donate a kidney, Ron refused. In 2006, former teammate and best friend Everson Walls
Everson Walls
Everson Collins Walls is a former American football cornerback in the NFL, having played for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 seasons, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a 3-time All-Pro selection...
agreed to donate one of his kidneys, and the transplant
Kidney transplantation
Kidney transplantation or renal transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplantation is typically classified as deceased-donor or living-donor transplantation depending on the source of the donor organ...
took place in March. On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, it was reported that Springs slipped into a coma after going into cardiac arrest while having an operation performed on an elbow cyst the previous weekend. He remained in this state until his death, and his son left his team to be with Ron during that time. Doctors reported in 2007 that there was no chance of Springs surviving; however, his family continued encouraging Ron by talking to him daily. On January 5, 2008, former Cowboy teammate Bill Bates held a charity event to help raise funds for the foundation connected with Ron's illness. Ron's wife, Adrianne, continued to show encouragement to those concerned about Ron's condition, stating that news of the event's turnout might help wake Ron from his coma.
On January 21, 2008, Adrianne Springs filed a lawsuit on behalf of her husband against the two doctors who performed the surgery, alleging malpractice.
Springs died on May 12, 2011, due to a heart attack.