Ron Springs 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 to 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 . Early years . Springs graduated from Lafayette High School 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 . Professional career . Dallas Cowboys . Springs was selected by the Dallas Cowboys 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 . Tampa Bay Buccaneers . In 1985 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 . Health concerns and death . Springs was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 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 .