FORT WORTH, Texas – If his gunshot wounds don’t prevent Cowboys safety Keith Davis from participating in training camp, his judgment might.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who admits being “stung” by a trio of off-field incidents that have rocked his team this off-season, says Davis’ spot on the training-camp roster is indeed in jeopardy as a result of the June 29 incident at 2:20 a.m. outside a Dallas topless club.

Davis suffered multiple gunshot wounds, two in the left arm and one in the hip, from an unknown assailant. Davis said he was coming to the aid of a friend who had gotten into an argument at the Dallas Gentlemen’s Club.

The Dallas Police Department is still investigating the shooting. No arrests have been made.

Davis has resumed his workouts at the team’s Valley Ranch headquarters and is confident he will be ready when the Cowboys open camp July 25 in San Antonio.

“Keith Davis is a good guy, but I’d like him to be a good listener,” Jones said. “He didn’t have to put himself in that situation. Yes, he put his roster spot in jeopardy. He should be concerned. Everybody should start looking at their roster spot.”

News that Davis’ status is in question was a surprise to Davis and his agent, Byron Boston.

According to Boston: “Davis has talked to several people in the Cowboys’ organization, including defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, and all have been very supportive of him.

“Based on the circumstances, it would be real surprising to me if that’s why he would be released,” Boston said.

“We haven’t heard anything like that.”

Boston said Davis hasn’t experienced any physical problems since resuming his workouts, and is running full speed and lifting weights as he did before the incident.

Jones remains concerned about Davis’ health, saying that it won’t be easy for him to be ready for training camp.

However, he says he’s bothered mostly by Davis’ judgment, especially since the entire team was warned by coach Bill Parcells at the final minicamp in June to stay out of trouble and to avoid bad situations.

“This should serve as a real example,” Jones said. “What you shouldn’t be doing is exposing yourself to these situations.”

Jones said players must be accountable to their teammates, the organization and themselves. He also said he believes the increasing use of guns in society makes going to clubs more dangerous.

Jones understands the entire NFL is dealing with these issues. Lions receiver Scotty Anderson was stabbed outside a Houston nightclub.

Jones acknowledges being particularly sensitive to the issue. A spate of off-field incidents in the 1990s prompted him to hire Calvin Hill to oversee a behavior department that has since become a model for others around the league.

But the Davis shooting is one of three negative incidents involving Cowboys players since last season. Cornerback Dwayne Goodrich was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident after leaving a Dallas topless club Jan. 14. Goodrich, who was cut by the Cowboys in February, has been charged with two counts of manslaughter, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of failure to stop and render aid. He is awaiting trial.

On May 11, Cowboys running back Ennis Haywood, 23, died of unknown causes. Haywood became ill May 10, fell into a coma and was pronounced dead after his family decided to take him off life support the following day at the Medical Center of Arlington. A preliminary autopsy report showed no obvious cause of death. Officials at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office are awaiting results of a toxicology report.

While Jones calls Haywood’s death a tragedy, he laments that the other two were mistakes in judgment and could have been prevented.

“My first concern is the safety and well-being of the people involved,” Jones said. “But we want to use these instances as an example. We want to learn from these mistakes in judgment. Players need to understand that bad judgment will put your career at risk.”

Goodrich’s error effectively ended his career with the Cowboys. Will the same happen to Davis, a second-year player who was not even guaranteed a spot on the roster if healthy?

And the Cowboys must cut three players before training camp. One will likely be a receiver; the team has 11 on the roster. Deep snapper Jeff Grau is a possibility; the team is committed to using tight end Jeff Robinson at deep snapper.

Cutting Davis could serve as an indication to the rest of the team that Jones and Parcells mean business in 2003.

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(c) 2003, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

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Jerry Jones

AP-NY-07-12-03 2137EDT