FRISCO, Texas — Tragedy struck the Dallas Cowboys’ family. The Team’s strength and conditioning coach, Markus Paul, passed away Wednesday afternoon surrounded by loved ones at the age of 54.
Paul was rushed to a nearby hospital in Frisco around 7:30 AM on Tuesday due to a medical emergency. He remained in critical condition and the Cowboys released a statement at 5:19 PM on Wednesday announcing his death.
Sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to the Paul family, friends, and past and present players influenced by his mentorship over the years. Hearts are broken with the passing of the organization’s constant source of strength and backbone, Markus Paul.
“ Markus Paul, surrounded by his family, passed away at the hospital this evening at the age of 54. The cause of death is pending, “ the Cowboys’ remarked in a release.
“ The organization extends its prayers and support to the Paul family, and the team will recognize and remember Markus, a valued and loved member of the Cowboys family, prior to the Thanksgiving Day game tomorrow afternoon.”
The former safety attended Syracuse University from 1984-1988 and earned All-American honors his senior year and set a school record with 19 interceptions.
Paul was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He started 30 games in his five seasons with the Bears (1989-1993) and spent the final game of the 1993 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After his playing career ended, he transitioned to coaching five years later as a strength and conditioning coach. He spent time with many NFL teams serving in a similar role: An assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New Orleans Saints (1998-1999) and New England Patriots (2000-2004), director of physical development for the New York Jets in 2005 and strength and conditioning coach in 2006 for the Jets, assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New York Giants (2007-2018), and then moving to head strength and conditioning coach for the Dallas Cowboys since 2018.
He won five Super Bowl titles during his coaching career, three with the Patriots and two with the Giants.
Head coach Mike McCarthy remarked in a statement:
“ We extend our love, strength, and support to Markus’ family during the most challenging of times and ask that their privacy be respected moving forward. Markus Paul was a leader in this building. He earned the players respect and attention because he cared so much and was a naturally gifted communicator- both on the personal and professional levels. He handled every situation, sometimes with a smile and a pat on the back, and sometimes with tough love. He had the innate toughness in a job that requires that quality, and he was admired throughout the NFL by his peers and the players he coached. It was a privilege to work with him as a coach and laugh with him as a friend. Markus did everything the right way.”
