Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Marcus Paul, 54, dies

Frisco, Texas – Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coordinator Marcus Paul, who was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday morning after experiencing a medical emergency, has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 54 years old.

Surrounded by family, Paul died Wednesday evening at Plano Presbyterian Hospital.

The cause of death was not declared.

“The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Marcus Paul was a dear and valued member of our family,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. “He was a pleasant and calming influence in our Mighty Room and the entire Star.

“His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him a lot of respect and appreciation from all of our players and the entire organization. We extend our love and support to his family in this difficult time. His family and everyone’s Our heart is broken. The people whose lives they touched and made better. “

The Cowboys will recognize and remember Paul before their thanksgiving matchup against the Washington football team at AT&T Stadium.

Paul Cowboy was treated by medical personnel and transported by ambulance to a local hospital before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Coach Mike McCarthy canceled practice on Tuesday, while Wednesday’s session lasted about 75 minutes, which was considered normal given the circumstances.

Paul joined the Cowboys as an assistant to Mike Voick in 2018 and was named the strength and conditioning coordinator upon McCarthy’s arrival as coach.

“We extend our love, strength and support to Marcus’s family during this most challenging time of time and ask that their privacy be respected,” McCarthy said in a statement on Wednesday. “Marcus Paul was a leader in this building. He earned the respect and attention of the players because he cared a lot and was an inherently talented communicator – on both personal and professional levels. He handled every situation, sometimes smiling. And with a pat. On the back, and sometimes with hard love.

“He experienced innate rigor in a job that required that quality, and was praised by his teammates and players in the NFL. Working with him as a coach and as a friend It was a privilege to laugh together. Everything in the right way. “

Paul played a five-year game as a defensive back in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after four seasons from 1989 to 1993 at Syracuse, where he was a two-time All-American.

He entered the coaching ranks with the New Orleans Saints in 1998 and then spent five seasons with the staff staff of the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2004 under Woyick. In 2005 and ’06, Paul was director of physical development and head strength and conditioning. Coach for the New York Jets.

He spent 11 seasons as an assistant power coach with the New York Giants before joining the Cowboys.

In 2012, the Cowboys experienced the loss of a player a day before playing the Cincinnati Bengals when practice-squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a car accident in which teammate Josh Brent was the driver. The Cowboys displayed Brown’s jersey on their bench and won the game.