The Ties That Bind a Father and Son

Two days earlier, on Oct. 9, doctors had attempted to remove the cyst under local anesthesia. But the pain persisted and he would have to go under full anesthesia to remove the portion still embedded in his skin. "He was like, Whatever, it's nothing," Springs said. "He didn't think nothing of it."

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Grim Diagnosis

Springs said the family does not know what went wrong during the procedure. Springs flew with the Redskins to Green Bay on Oct. 13. At the team hotel he felt drained and dehydrated, so Redskins team physician Tony Casolaro administered an IV and answered Shawn's questions about the likely severity of the brain trauma suffered by his father. Given his father's medical history, the situation was bleak.

At 6 a.m. Sunday, seven hours before kickoff, Springs arose suddenly. He could smell his father, the scent unmistakable. "It was like my dad was lying in bed beside me," he recalled. "Then I looked up and all of a sudden the smell was gone."

Shaken, Springs was unable to get back to sleep.

It was the longest day of his 11-season career. During the national anthem Springs could not concentrate on the game. He looked across Lambeau Field to the Packers' sideline, where quarterback Brett Favre stood with his teammates. Springs suddenly recalled a "Monday Night Football" game in 2003, when Favre threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns one day after his father's sudden death.

"Usually, when I play, during the game it's really easy to block everything out," Springs said. "That's in my personality, everything's so nonchalant and chill. That Sunday was the first time I was like, 'Damn, you never expect nothing like this.' One of the things that kept me going was just watching Brett Favre from across the field, and I remembered him throwing for all of those yards when his dad died. So I was like, 'This is the right thing to do. This is what my dad would want me to do.' "

Springs flew home with the Redskins following an emotional, 17-14 defeat, packed a bag and departed for Dallas early Monday morning. Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs excused him from the team for as long as necessary and team owner Daniel Snyder offered the services of his private jet (Springs declined). He spent that week with his family at the hospital.

"I know we've had some ups and downs, but Coach Gibbs and the Redskins really supported me through this," he said.

When Springs arrived at the hospital his father had virtually no brain activity, and the doctors offered a grim diagnosis. "They pretty much said in the best-case scenario my dad would be a vegetable," he said, "And then we all had to sit around and voice our opinions of what we would do and stuff like that."

Gregg Williams, the Redskins assistant head coach-defense, sent text messages of support, as did teammates. "We let Shawn know he has our support," safety Pierson Prioleau said. "And at same time we want to help make this his escape from something that's probably inescapable."

On Oct. 20, Springs decided he would fly back home and at least attend the Redskins' game against Arizona at FedEx Field. As he reported to Redskins Park for meetings Saturday, the Ohio State football team in Columbus, Ohio, wore No. 24 stickers on their helmets to recognize Ron Springs during the game he was supposed to attend.

Williams relaxed his edict that those who do not practice during the week do not play in the game, and Springs suited up for the Cardinals. He figured he would participate in a few plays at most, but cornerback Fred Smoot injured his hamstring early in the game, and Springs found himself racing onto the field for regular duty. He fretted about his leg muscles tightening up.