“Everson Walls and Ron Springs were more than just teammates in Dallas. Their close friendship has lasted through the years and now reached another level with Walls donating a kidney to help Springs,”
( Originally Reported by Greg Garber – ESPN.Com January 2007 )
Every single time the NFL announces their Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees list, I can not help remember this story.
It has always stayed with me. From the very first time I ever read it until this very day.
In the history of professional team sports, I’ve never heard of anything, which has come close to this. It’s the ultimate show of brotherly love and teammate camaraderie I have ever heard of.
I strongly believe if the Dallas Cowboys had launch a publicity campaign during the 2012 season to get Dallas Cowboys Alumni, Everson Walls inducted in the Pro-Football’s Hall of Fame back then, it would have happened.
In my book, no player ever deserved it more!
“He ( Springs ) will never live this down” said back then Everson Walls, in classic locker-room trash talk tone of voice – and of course – that was the whole point.
USAToday30.USAToday.Com
But less than eight months after the kidney transplant, Ron Springs lapsed into a coma during an operation to remove a cyst from his arm.
He never regained consciousness before dying at age 54 inside Medical City Dallas Hospital.
Until this day I can’t forget or get pass Everson Walls’ selfless act and all that he did to try save his friend’s life.
“Ron was special,” said Walls, at Ron Springs Funeral. “Everything I shared with him has stuck with me…There are lot of heavy hearts ( here today! )…A lot of heavy hearts and as much as we selfishly wanted Ron to stick around ( at the end! )…it wasn’t our call.”
The man may not have put up monstrous statistical numbers on the field of play, but in my book Everson Walls deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame should not be only about statistics after all.
It is also about character and honor, and Everson Walls has plenty of those two and then some.
In honor of the memory of Ron Springs, members already in the Hall should push in for his induction into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame on a special written ballot.
I’m certain any Hall Famer in the Hall already would be honored to have Everson Walls name right next to theirs.
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