Adidas410s
07-17-2006, 11:31 AM
DALLAS -- Dallas Cowboys safety Keith Davis was shot twice while driving on a Dallas highway early Sunday and was hospitalized in stable condition after undergoing surgery to remove bullet fragments.
His agent, Curtis Stephens, said the injuries were minor and that Davis expected to be released late Sunday or Monday.
"He's going to fully recover and he's in good spirits," Stephens said. "Everything is being done on a precautionary basis. Two physicians both gave him a thumbs up. ... If camp opened tomorrow, he'd like to think he'd be there tomorrow."
Players are expected to report for camp a week from Thursday in Oxnard, Calif.
The 27-year-old Davis is among the Cowboys' top special teams players and the incumbent starting safety opposite Roy Williams. Earlier this summer, Dallas gave him a roughly $3 million, two-year contract that includes about $2 million in bonus and salary this season; the deal came after New Orleans signed Davis to an offer sheet.
Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team did not have any comment on the incident.
This is the second time in three years that Davis has been shot. He was an innocent bystander last time, and this time Stephens said the player was driving home from a family vacation.
"The thing that's really pertinent here is that Keith was not involved in any type of criminal activity or anything like that," Stephens said. "This is not the residual effect of that."
In June 2003, Davis was shot in the hip and elbow while picking up a friend at a topless club. Coach Bill Parcells released Davis about a month later, on the first day of the coach's first training camp with the Cowboys. Davis did not play football that season, but rejoined the club in 2004 and became a full-time starter last season.
In Sunday's shooting, Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Jamie Matthews said a dark blue two-door car pulled up next to Davis' vehicle around 5 a.m. and opened fire.
Davis was hit in the back of the head and in the right thigh.
"He was able to pull over, and his front passenger then moved into the driver's seat and then drove him to a nearby hospital," Matthews said.
Matthews said police were investigating motives and suspects.
"We're looking to see if it was a possible carjacking," she said.
Keith Davis
Safety
Dallas Cowboys
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int
50 35 15 0 0 0
A former Sam Houston State star, Davis blossomed for the Cowboys in 2005 after playing primarily on special teams his first two seasons in the league. He started 15 games last season and finished fourth on the team with 68 tackles. He also led the club in special teams tackles, with 16 and had a forced fumble.
In April, the New Orleans Saints signed Davis to a restricted free agent offer sheet, but the Cowboys retained the three-year veteran by matching the offer. The contract will pay Davis slightly more than $3 million and included a $1.2 million roster bonus. Davis, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2002, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $825,000 for 2006.
If there was one shortcoming in Davis' performance in 2005, it was an absence of big plays, as he authored no interceptions or fumble recoveries and posted just three passes defensed. In terms of his skill set, Davis is probably better suited to strong safety, but Dallas already has a Pro Bowl-caliber playing at that position (Roy Williams).
The safety position was considered an area of concern for the Cowboys entering the offseason. Dallas signed Marcus Coleman, 32, after he was released by the Houston Texans, but the 10-year veteran is projected as being a nickel defender. The Cowboys chose safety Pat Watkins of Florida State in the fifth round of the draft.
Len Pasquarelli, senior NFL writer for ESPN.com, contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press was also used.
His agent, Curtis Stephens, said the injuries were minor and that Davis expected to be released late Sunday or Monday.
"He's going to fully recover and he's in good spirits," Stephens said. "Everything is being done on a precautionary basis. Two physicians both gave him a thumbs up. ... If camp opened tomorrow, he'd like to think he'd be there tomorrow."
Players are expected to report for camp a week from Thursday in Oxnard, Calif.
The 27-year-old Davis is among the Cowboys' top special teams players and the incumbent starting safety opposite Roy Williams. Earlier this summer, Dallas gave him a roughly $3 million, two-year contract that includes about $2 million in bonus and salary this season; the deal came after New Orleans signed Davis to an offer sheet.
Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team did not have any comment on the incident.
This is the second time in three years that Davis has been shot. He was an innocent bystander last time, and this time Stephens said the player was driving home from a family vacation.
"The thing that's really pertinent here is that Keith was not involved in any type of criminal activity or anything like that," Stephens said. "This is not the residual effect of that."
In June 2003, Davis was shot in the hip and elbow while picking up a friend at a topless club. Coach Bill Parcells released Davis about a month later, on the first day of the coach's first training camp with the Cowboys. Davis did not play football that season, but rejoined the club in 2004 and became a full-time starter last season.
In Sunday's shooting, Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Jamie Matthews said a dark blue two-door car pulled up next to Davis' vehicle around 5 a.m. and opened fire.
Davis was hit in the back of the head and in the right thigh.
"He was able to pull over, and his front passenger then moved into the driver's seat and then drove him to a nearby hospital," Matthews said.
Matthews said police were investigating motives and suspects.
"We're looking to see if it was a possible carjacking," she said.
Keith Davis
Safety
Dallas Cowboys
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int
50 35 15 0 0 0
A former Sam Houston State star, Davis blossomed for the Cowboys in 2005 after playing primarily on special teams his first two seasons in the league. He started 15 games last season and finished fourth on the team with 68 tackles. He also led the club in special teams tackles, with 16 and had a forced fumble.
In April, the New Orleans Saints signed Davis to a restricted free agent offer sheet, but the Cowboys retained the three-year veteran by matching the offer. The contract will pay Davis slightly more than $3 million and included a $1.2 million roster bonus. Davis, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2002, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $825,000 for 2006.
If there was one shortcoming in Davis' performance in 2005, it was an absence of big plays, as he authored no interceptions or fumble recoveries and posted just three passes defensed. In terms of his skill set, Davis is probably better suited to strong safety, but Dallas already has a Pro Bowl-caliber playing at that position (Roy Williams).
The safety position was considered an area of concern for the Cowboys entering the offseason. Dallas signed Marcus Coleman, 32, after he was released by the Houston Texans, but the 10-year veteran is projected as being a nickel defender. The Cowboys chose safety Pat Watkins of Florida State in the fifth round of the draft.
Len Pasquarelli, senior NFL writer for ESPN.com, contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press was also used.