Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning head coach Markus Paul is undergoing tests after being rushed from practice and hospitalized after suffering an unspecified medical emergency at the team's Frisco headquarters Tuesday morning.
The team canceled practice Tuesday after paramedics were called to The Star in Frisco at about 7:30 a.m. to deal with an unspecified medical emergency involving an unnamed staffer.
It wasn't until early in the afternoon that the team confirmed the staffer was strength and conditioning head coach Markus Paul, a former NFL defensive back and longtime strength coach with decades of experience in the NFL.
The team said Paul suffered a medical emergency and was immediately treated by Cowboys medical personnel before being transported to a hospital by ambulance.
"As per the Paul family, Markus is in the process of undergoing further medical tests and additional information will be made available at the appropriate time," the team said in a statement. "The organization extends its prayers and support to the Paul family and asks for friends and followers of Markus, his family and the team to keep them in their thoughts and prayers."
Further details about Paul's emergency are were not immediately available.
Team owner Jerry Jones, who appeared on 105.3 The Fan about an hour after the incident at The Star, made no mention of Paul or what had taken place earlier in the morning.
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The team canceled head coach Mike McCarthy's normal morning news conference and also said players would not be made available for interviews in the afternoon.
Paul has been with the Cowboys for three seasons and was in his first season as the team's head strength and conditioning coach. During the previous two seasons, he'd been the assistant under Mike Woicik, whom the Cowboys said he'd worked with previously in New Orleans (1998-99) and with New England (2000-04).
In March, following the onset of the ongoing pandemic, Paul posted a video on Twitter with tips about staying fit while stuck at home.
In his 21 years as a coach in the NFL, he's worked in strength and conditioning in various capacities for the Cowboys, the Giants (2007-2017), the Jets, (2005-2006), the Patriots and Saints.
In college, Paul was a standout defensive back for Syracuse from 1985-1988, set a school record with 19 interceptions and the most in a game (3), and was named an All-American in his final season.
"In 1987 and 1988, Paul was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award which recognizes the nation’s top defensive back," according to Syracuse, in an online biography. "In 1988, he earned All-American honors. He was named to Syracuse University's All-Century team in November 1999."
Paul was taken in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, where he spent most of his playing career from 1989-1992. He then spent the 1993 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he played in nine games before exiting the league after playing 71 games and making seven interceptions.
The Cowboys are scheduled to play the Washington Football Team at 3:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
NBC 5's Sports Director Newy Scruggs contributed to this report.
