Injured Cowboys Coach Bounces Back

Just yesterday, Dallas Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was leading his group through the morning practice in the neck brace we've been so accustomed to seeing him wear. When he came out for practice today, the brace was gone.

"It's outstanding!" said DeCamillis. "That thing was really a brace and it felt bad the whole time, hope it stays off!"

For the first part of camp, Joe even wore the neck brace to bed, having to sleep sitting in a chair, but now he'll get to go horizontal, but he may have a long night ahead, because going without the support for practice made that neck pretty sore.

"You caught me at a real stiff moment" DeCamillis said after the second practice of the day. "It's definitely stiff today and sore, but hopefully it gets better as the days go on, we'll see."

Another test will come on Thursday when the Cowboys play their first pre-season game of the year in Oakland, and Joe will be coaching from the sideline, which could be dangerous. We've seen coaches get run over by players down there before but he says he's taken precautions and he's prepared.

"I talked with Mike Westhoff with the Jets who had a broken leg for three years, where he used a cane on the sideline" DeCamillis said. "We talked about where to position myself and where to put myself out of harms way and still be able to do my job at an effective pace."

With how he's overcome so far, there's little doubt he'll be able to pull it off. It will be just one more way for him to inspire his players.

"I didn't move off the sofa for six weeks and it was a little foot deal" Punter Mat McBriar recalled after suffering a broken foot in the game against the Cardinals. "He tore up his back and was back at work in couple of weeks. He's a brave soldier and his coaching has been fantastic and he will get the best out of his players"

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