No timetable on OL Travis Frederick's return to Cowboys after autoimmune disease diagnosis

The Dallas Cowboys said Thursday that lineman Travis Frederick's spirits are high after being told by doctors he has a rare autoimmune disease.

Frederick, 27, revealed the surprising diagnosis on Twitter on Wednesday evening, adding he doesn't know when he'll be able to play football again. The center is suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease where the body essentially is attacking its nervous system.

“I've spoken to him, his teammates have spoken to him and he seems in really good spirits, in a good place, we'll just have to see how it all goes. First and foremost, we're thinking about him and his family,” said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett on Thursday.

Garrett said he's learning more every day about the disease and every person is different. There’s no timetable from the team on Frederick’s return.

Joe Looney, who's been with the Cowboys since 2016, is taking first-team snaps. But the Cowboys aren't ruling out signing another center or converting another lineman to that position -- like Zack Martin.

“We're just praying for him and trying to be here as teammates. It's a tough situation and a scary situation for him, but we're going to do our best, keep working without him. But we are thinking about him and he's in our prayers and obviously he's a huge part of this team,” Martin said.

The Cowboys say their bigger concern than Travis Frederick the All-Pro football player, is Travis Frederick the man.

“I've spoken to him since his diagnosis and his spirits are great,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “From that standpoint he's a completely focused individual.”

Frederick is not the first NFL player to be diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. Former NFL players who also battled the disease are offering support to Frederick.

Former quarterback Danny Wuerffel has an idea of what it’s like to be in Frederick’s situation.

“There’s just the physical challenge of it, just not being able to manage or control your body,” Wuerffel said.

A 1996 Heisman Trophy winner, Wuerffel won four SEC championships as a Florida Gator before being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1997. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2011.

“I started feeling a lot of weakness in my leg, kind of losing balance, I had been sick with a stomach virus which is likely what triggered the auto-immune response,” Wuerfell said.

Like Frederick’s case, Wuerffel’s doctors caught the disease early. He battled it for about a year and a half -- at one point unable to move beyond one area of his home. It was a different life from that of a pro athlete.

“I was highly immobile, I could barely stand and shuffle a little bit, my legs were pretty much not functioning. My arms and hands were weak,” Wuerfell said.

The disease itself is very rare.

In his 23 years with Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Dr. Gregg Shalan said his hospital has only seen five to ten cases. The disease is typically triggered by an infection.

“The body by mistake attacks its own tissues, in this case the tissues on the nerve, paralyzed part of the nerve,” Dr. Shalan said.

It can cause muscle weakness, numbness and tingling. In some cases the disease can be severe, even leading to paralysis.

“The sickest of the sick are in ICU, mechanical ventilation, life support,” Dr. Shalan said.

More than half make a full recovery with treatment and medication, while others have lifelong issues.

Despite the diagnosis, Frederick has support from teammates and those who’ve been through it.

“Hang in there, it’s probably a really difficult time, but I have good belief and confidence he’ll be fine,” Wuerfell said.

Doctors say each case is different, so it’s hard to say how long it might take someone to become healthy again. But some patients can take more than a year to recover.