Joe Decamillis I Took A Toradol During The Game Last Week

SRI continues to work in new writers. This post is courtesy of Tim Gunter from 790 the Zone in Atlanta. This past May, strong winds and hard rain pummeled the Dallas Cowboys practice facility which caused it to collapse. Miraculously, no one was killed but twelve people were hurt including Cowboys special teams coach, Joe DeCamillis. He was taken to a hospital and later diagnosed with a broken vertebra in his neck. Since then, he has gone through rehab and is back at work wearing a neck brace and sleeps sitting up in a chair. Joe is known around the league for his passion for the game of football. Make no mistake he is not letting his broken neck get in the way of his job. Joe DeCamillis joined WQXI (790 the Zone)  in Atlanta to talk about his progress, if he is back 100% healthy, the Cowboys scoreboard and the possibility of a “do over”, and on the “wedge” rule change.

How much strain is training camp giving you for what you are dealing with?

“It was tough. It was a hard deal. Once the brace came off its been a lot more painful then I thought it was that’s for sure. The games have been the worst. The longer you are on your feet. I mean I took a Toradol in the game last week. So that’s the first time I ever had to do that coaching that’s for sure. (Host: What did you do? Say it again?) I took a Toradol during the game last week.”

On a scale of 1-10, how are you health wise?

“I mean I can’t say that I don’t know. Its not, I’m nowhere near where I was as far as far as just you know the energy and all that kind of stuff. I was better this past game and I am going to try to hopefully keep getting better you know as we get into the regular season and just try to do my job as best as I can. That’s what my goal is everyday when I come in.”

 On the possibility of a “do over” in football.

“Oh yeah it happened in the first preseason game you know with Tennessee. You know its just something that you are going to have to deal with but like I’ve said in the past. It’s kind of like Giants Stadium you got to deal with the wind. You know when you go to certain other places you have to deal with certain types of things. So I mean its just something that you have to deal with when you get to the stadium.”

On the rule change that eliminated the use of the “wedge.”

“I mean they say no wedge but I just watched. I go back through all the games every week and that’s what I just got done this morning and all they have done is made it two yards apart. There is still people sing two man wedges that are three yards apart and it’s the exact same returns they are running. I mean there is no difference to be honest with you. You know I think a lot was made about that and I think just like we thought, it’s not going to change much at all. What they tried to do is get the big people off the field. They tried to get the big lineman off the field but what they didn’t do is change the actives at all. You get 45 players during the game. So they can’t be linebackers and DB’s out there every single time. You have to use those big guys in certain respects and it hasn’t changed anything at all in my opinion. If they were trying to eliminate collisions I don’t think they are going to do it. Its going to be the exact same thing.”