(CNN)Tributes have been pouring in for the Dallas Cowboys' strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul, 54, who died Wednesday after experiencing a medical emergency unrelated to Covid-19 at the team's headquarters.
During the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game against the Washington Football Team, each player wore a sticker with Paul's initials on his helmet. Players also joined hands and knelt before kickoff.
"Markus meant a lot to so many people and he made an impact on so many people," Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton said after his team's 41-16 loss.
"And I think for us, just having a chance to talk about it, remember him and just talk about ways that he has helped mentor us and just the way he was as a man, the way he lived his life, I think that's what made him so special as a person," Dalton said. "And so you feel for the team, you feel for his family, you feel for everybody involved and our prayers are out for everybody, especially his family."
In a season in which the coronavirus pandemic has meant adjusting on the fly has become the norm, having to play an NFL game just 24 hours after Paul's death was a whole new level of adversity for the team.
"You find out a lot about people in these times. I can't tell you how proud I am of this football team," said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. "But yes, it's a week that I don't think any of us will ever forget."