In an NFL.com profile of new interim Dolphins head coach Dan Campbell, there’s an anecdote about a 2005 incident when Campbell was still a player on the Dallas Cowboys.

Campbell was on a five-hour flight with some of his teammates on his way to Cowboys preseason camp in California, and his appendix exploded. He didn’t tell anyone, though, rode out the rest of the flight, and then went to the emergency room.

From NFL.com:

“Guys,” position coach Paul Pasqualoni said, “Dan’s in the emergency room right now.” On that quiet flight out of Texas, Campbell’s appendix exploded, an extremely painful and potentially life-threatening kick to the gut that would cause most men to double over onto the beverage cart. Campbell didn’t make a sound. No one had a clue. He returned to practice in about a week and won the Ed Block Courage award that season.

The profile points out that this is a sign of Campbell’s toughness.

While he is certainly tough, I also think this might be a sign of stupidity. Hey everyone out there: If your appendix explodes, tell someone. Preferably someone who has a modicum of medical knowledge, or knows how to dial 911.

I hope this is just a tall tale being spun, and Campbell did alert someone on the plane that something in his stomach literally exploded, and they rushed him to medical attention immediately upon landing. Whether it actually happened as they recall it or not, I think what is undeniable is that this story illustrates the NFL’s obsession with toughness above all else.