The benefit will raise money to help Michael Downs with medical expenses after suffering brain injuries due to multiple concussions from football.
HOUSTON, Texas -- Former Rice University running back and college football Hall of Famer Trevor Cobb is organizing a benefit for former Rice football captain Michael Downs.
"We're just trying to give back to the community," Cobb said."Sometimes, it takes a while for him to answer the phone. His speech is slurred, so it's a hard thing to deal with."He signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent and played for Dallas from 1981 to 1989.Cobb believes Downs is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive brain condition that's thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and repeated episodes of concussion.
The idea for the benefit came when Cobb had lunch with alum Brian Patterson, and they were looking to help someone from the Rice community., a non-profit organization that conducts events for people with medical setbacks and financial hardships.