OXNARD, Calif. – The personal matter keeping Brandon Carr away from training camp came to a sad conclusion Wednesday, as Cowboys coach Jason Garrett reported that Carr's mother has passed away.
"She passed away, I think yesterday morning. He's been dealing with that situation for a while," Garrett said at his Thursday afternoon press conference. "She apparently is a very, very strong lady, because she's been fighting that for at least a couple years. Brandon has done a great job being supportive of her and his family and still focusing on what he needs to focus on." [embedded_ad]
Carr's mother, Kathy, battled breast cancer on two separate occasions. With her health deteriorating, the Cowboys told Carr to take as much time as necessary to see to the situation when the team reported to training camp last week.
"That's why he didn't come out to training camp from the start – everyone felt like it was close to that time, so he's been spending time with his family and with her," Garrett said. "He'll take care of all those arrangements and he'll be out here in the next couple days."
This is the second year in a row a Cowboys player – specifically, a defensive back – has dealt with personal loss during the team's preseason preparations. J.J. Wilcox, then a rookie, lost his mother to lupus at the halfway point of last year's camp.
Asked about it after Thursday's walkthrough, Wilcox said support from his teammates was crucial to him during that time, as he expects it will be for Carr.
"It helps out a lot. You don't understand it when you're gone and you think the guys forgot about you," Wilcox said. "But it definitely helps a part of you – not overcome it, but take it day-by-day and understand that the guys still love you and you're still on their mind. It helps out a lot."
