Everson Walls and Ron Springs woke up Tuesday morning to learn that the potentially life-changing secret they've shared with few others had been posted on the Internet. Neither was happy the very personal news had gotten out.
The former Cowboys teammates have undergone tests to determine if Walls could donate a kidney to his close friend, who has been battling diabetes for 14 years.
While the results of a final test administered to Springs on Tuesday have yet to be determined, it appears Walls would be a compatible donor.
Springs, who lost his right foot to the disease, has spoken openly about his need for a healthy kidney. He spends much of his time undergoing dialysis while waiting for a transplant. He has publicly mentioned relatives as potential donors. Never has he even whispered the name of his close friend.
Walls' name surfaced in Tuesday's Washington Post and on the newspaper's Web site. The story reported that a transplant was imminent. The Post quoted Springs' son Shawn, a cornerback for the Redskins, as saying it could take place "any day now."
The Associated Press picked up the news. It was on ESPN's Web site and countless others by morning.
Reached via cellphone Tuesday morning, Walls, angered by what he considers an invasion of his privacy, said he would have "no comment" on what he termed "a personal and delicate situation."
Walls was on an airplane at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport waiting to take off for New York, where he had a scheduled television appearance. He said several former teammates already had called with questions. ESPN called wanting a live interview. He said he was not ready to discuss an issue he had yet to discuss with some members of his own family.
The mailbox in Springs' cellphone was full early in the day. He said it had been awhile since he has garnered so much attention.
Springs' wife, Adriane, was cautious. "The transplant is not a sure thing yet," she said. "You never know. ... Surely we didn't want this out."
Walls, who turns 47 this month, is not the first potential donor for Springs, 50. There have been others, including several relatives. Each time, something went wrong.
Pam Silvestri, public affairs director of the Southwest Transplant Alliance, said her organization does not recommend publicizing the names of potential donors "because of the already undue pressure contemplating such a decision puts on everyone."
Silvestri provided names of athletes known to have donated kidneys. It's a short list. Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag, who played for Duncanville High School, donated a kidney to his sister in June 2002 and returned to play in the NBA the following season. In 1997, retired NBA superstar Oscar Robertson, 58 at the time, donated a kidney to his 33-year-old daughter.
Ron Springs has said his son Shawn offered to donate a kidney and in all likelihood end his NFL career, but the father would not allow any of his children to be tested.
Walls is scheduled to be in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday for induction into the Southwestern Athletic Conference's hall of fame. Already he has had to tell inquisitive SWAC officials that he would prefer no mention be made of the potential transplant.
Walls was a wide-eyed rookie defensive back from Grambling when he met veteran running back and locker room leader Springs at Cowboys training camp before the 1981 season. They remained teammates until Springs, who lasted six seasons with the Cowboys, was released before the 1985 season.
"We were a bunch of characters back then," Walls told The Dallas Morning News for a profile of Springs published on Thanksgiving Day 2005. "And Ron was the leading character."
Springs retired after the 1986 season, spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Walls played with the Cowboys through the 1989 season before finishing his career with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns. He retired after the 1993 season.
Today, Walls and Springs live less than three miles apart in West Plano. Their wives are close. While some former teammates have shied away from visiting Springs because they cannot bear to see his physical condition, Walls has been a regular visitor.
"You know," Walls said Tuesday before his plane took off for New York, "everyone loves Ron."
E-mail bhorn@dallasnews.com
