Dallas Cowboys tailback Ennis Haywood was on life support Sunday morning after becoming ill a day earlier and being rushed to a local hospital.

A spokesperson for the Medical Center of Arlington confirmed that Haywood, who participated in the team's mini-camp last weekend and was expected to vie for a spot on the roster in training camp, was admitted early Saturday unconscious and unresponsive. The spokesperson said Haywood's family requested the hospital release no further details of his condition.

Team officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Haywood's sister-in-law, Angela Jernigan, told The Dallas Morning News that the player began vomiting in his sleep Saturday at about 4 a.m. and that he then stopped breathing two hours later, prompting the family to call 911.

Haywood, 23, signed with the Cowboys last spring as an undrafted college free agent from Iowa State, where he finished a standout career as the fifth-leading rusher in school history. He led the Cowboys in rushing during the preseason, carrying 31 times for 120 yards, and that earned him a spot on the Dallas practice squad.

A Dallas native, and a graduate of the city's Carter High School, he spent the entire '02 campaign on the practice squad, and re-signed with the Cowboys after the season.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.