Cowboys Rookie TE Faces Heartbreak After Brother Injured in Minneapolis Catholic School Tragedy
The NFL is often about triumph, competition, and the pursuit of dreams. But sometimes, real life strikes in ways that cut deeper than anything that happens on the field. For one Dallas Cowboys rookie tight end, what should have been the happiest moment of his young career was overshadowed by devastating news from back home.
Earlier this week, tragedy unfolded at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. A shooter opened fire during morning Mass, killing two children and injuring 18 others before dying by suicide, according to officials. Among the wounded were 15 children, many of them still fighting to recover in local hospitals.

Authorities identified the attacker as 23-year-old Robin Westman, a former student of the school. Police say Westman fired more than 100 rifle rounds into the church, where nearly 200 children, parents, and parishioners had gathered. The horror echoed across the nation, drawing comparisons to the long line of school shootings that have haunted America since Columbine.
Witnesses described chaos as teachers shielded students and older children tried to protect their younger classmates. Two victims, just 8 and 10 years old, tragically lost their lives. For many families, the scars will last forever.
In the midst of this national tragedy, the Cowboys rookie had just learned he made the team’s final 53-man roster. But the celebration was cut short when his phone rang. On the other end was his mother, delivering the kind of news no player — no brother — ever wants to hear.

That rookie is Brevyn Spann-Ford, the tight end from Minnesota who signed with Dallas this offseason. Spann-Ford revealed that his younger brother had been among the children injured in the Minneapolis Catholic School shooting.
“I was celebrating with my teammates after hearing I made the 53-man roster, when I got the call from my mom telling me my little brother had been hurt and was in the hospital. It was the most painful moment of my life. Football is my dream, but family is my heart — and right now, all I can think about is him,” Spann-Ford said, holding back emotion.
The Cowboys organization has rallied around their rookie, offering support as he navigates the unthinkable balance of chasing his NFL dream while worrying about his family back home. For Cowboys Nation, it is a reminder that the players they cheer for are human — sons, brothers, loved ones who face tragedies just like anyone else.
For Brevyn Spann-Ford, the start of his NFL journey will forever be tied to heartbreak. And for the families in Minneapolis, his story is one of many that show the rippling pain from a single day of violence.











