Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff comes to Hahira for grandparents funeral

Published 10:04 am Friday, September 24, 2010

Josh Sanchez with the Dallas Cowboys web site wrote yesterday: Starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff missed practice yesterday and today to attend the funeral of his grandparents who passed away in a tragic house fire.

Ratliff’s grandmother, Arletha, died while trying to save her husband who was a double amputee and World War II veteran. The couple died due to smoke inhalation.

“They found my grandparents, and my grandmother was, I guess, holding my grandfather,” Ratliff said. “She climbed back in bed, like if they can’t get him out, she’s not leaving him.”

Ratliff will fly to Georgia on owner Jerry Jones’ private jet. He is expected to play this week against Houston.

“That goes a long way with my family. He doesn’t know how much I appreciate that. That means a lot to me,” Ratliff said.

When speaking of his teammates Ratliff added, They’ve really been incredible in this time. Just all the support, cards, the pats on the back, letting me know I’m not alone.”

“It was really a tough week for him,” Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. “Football is certainly important, but there are more things in life and so it was a real tough week for him. It was good for him to be around this football team in a tragedy like [that] ’cause he had a lot of friends and people supporting him.”