I really like Dez Bryant. I really do.
He reminds me of Michael Irvin, and it’s not because he also wears 88 on his jersey nor the fact that he also has off-field “issues.” No, Dez Bryant is so much like Michael Irvin, it’s scary.
Michael Irvin was simply the most influential personality that the Dallas Cowboys have ever seen, and that’s saying something. The man’s will to win was infectious and literally might have been the driving force to Dallas winning three Super Bowls in four years. Ever wonder what his teammates thought of Irvin? All you have to recall is how Troy Aikman simply showed up in court to support him when Irvin was facing some tough off-field issues in the 90s. Irvin would go through a wall to win, and he dragged his teammates with him.
Dez is of the same mindset. Last August when a scuffle broke out in training camp between Dez and J.J. Wilcox, what looked like possible team dissension was viewed by Bryant as “something needed” for this team; they needed to have more fight and toughness in them if they were going to win.
Eight-eight or more receptions in each of the last three seasons, including a league-leading 16 touchdowns in 2014, tells you all you really need to know about what he brings to the table between the hashmarks. And yes, his catch was so good at Green Bay in the playoffs, his ability is greater than the rule which reversed the grab on the official play-by-play.
But it is the positive intangibles that really tell the story. Not many mentioned it, but Bryant was seen simply standing in the end zone well after the December win over the Colts to clinch the NFC East. Dez was so excited, he simply wanted to soak it all in, and he stayed out there for a while and saluted the fans.
Of course, Dez feels “disrespected” (or fill in whatever word you wish here) when it comes to being given the franchise tag on his contract situation. But at the end of the day, the man wants to stay in Dallas and win.
And no one wants DeMarco Murray back on this team more than Dez. OK, maybe Tony Romo does as equally.
Des showed his loyalty as a teammate once again yesterday. Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins was busy recruiting Murray on Twitter Tuesday afternoon, tweeting out, “I don’t like the cowboys but I do like @DeMarcoMurray …. Come on over to the dark side bro! We’ll treat you good!”
While Murray remained silent, Dez fired back as only Dez can, tweeting, “Go there is you want and watch what happens lol.” And he followed that tweet up with a clarification, “And I’m taking about strictly football.”
That’s what Dez is really all about. Like Irvin, it’s all about football and all about getting the W. He loves his teammates and they most surely love him.
Which is why I have plenty of hope that Murray will indeed return to the Dallas Cowboys when it is all said and done. First off, make no mistake that any chance of Murray’s return starts and ends with money. It always does.
But there’s a reason Murray wants to remain a Cowboy, and Dez is a big part of that. Both of them have something in common with Charlie Sheen — they’re all big fans of winning. Bryant’s hunger is infectious, and it surely has rubbed off on Murray.
Unless some team comes in and blows away Murray with a huge offer, there’s a decent chance that he will be wearing a star on his helmet once again. If it happens, Bryant will be grinning from ear to ear. Because he knows that the Cowboys will have another “kick at the can” in 2015. And he’ll get to fire another tweet back at an old rival in Philly too.
