MIAMI -The preseason ended in the worst possible way for the Cowboys on Thursday, and it didn't matter that they lost to the Miami Dolphins.
Planting to go up for a catch in the end zone, rookie wide receiver Raymond Radway suffered a serious bone injury to his lower left leg on the game's final offensive play. His ankle, foot and leg below the knee were placed in an air cast and he was scheduled for emergency surgery in the early hours of Friday morning.
The injury was later diagnosed a broken tibia and fibula.
Radway, a 24-year old from Abilene Christian who grew up in McKinney, near Dallas, had shown impressive physical ability during training camp and the preseason, and was making a push for the Cowboys' 53-man roster.
"We really liked what he did," Jason Garrett said. "He's a small school guy who has some ability. We first saw him at Dallas Day, and I thought he was only OK at Dallas Day, to be honest with you, but we were excited to sign him as a free agent, and he really came in and played well right from the start. He's a big kid who runs well, and he really tried to take advantage of his opportunities.
"You saw, really the first preseason game he made a touchdown reception down in the red zone, and then tonight you saw his ability to go up and get a football. So we like a lot of things we've seen from him. It's unfortunate at the end of the ball game he got hurt."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made arrangements to fly the receiver home to North Texas immediately after the game.
After the injury, Radway immediately motioned for help from the Cowboys medical staff and lay on the turf in great pain. After he was placed on a stretcher, the team's entire receiving corps ran over to offer their support. He will likely be placed on the Injured Reserve, putting him out for the season.
Playing most of the second half, Radway had three catches for 62 yards against the Dolphins.
"This is by no means the end for a guy like this," Jones said. "He will be having surgery about 2 or 3 this morning."
Jones likened the awful timing of the injury to cornerback Kevin Smith's season-ending and career-altering torn Achilles tendon, suffered in the opening game of the 1995 season, just after he had been rewarded with a contract extension.
