Dez Bryant Steals Show in First Practice With Cowboys

SAN ANTONIO -- Midway through his first NFL practice, Dez Bryant snared a 12-yard crossing route from Tony Romo in full stride. Bryant gave a defender a little hip move, then sped toward the sideline before turning upfield and racing 50 yards into the end zone.

No one bothered to give chase.

For the roaring 19,437 at the Alamodome for the start of Dallas Cowboys training camp, it might as well have been a December game against a hated NFC East foe.

"The crowd made me work hard," Bryant said. "The fans are showing me a lot of support and I'm going to do the same for them by giving everything I have on the field."

The field Saturday, of course, also included Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, DeMarcus Ware and the other five returning Pro Bowlers that grace the roster of America's Team. Yet it was Bryant, the rookie first-round draft pick with the train-wreck track record, who commanded the adoration of the Dallas faithful this day.

"Well, when players come in the first round, they've obviously done something right," Romo said after practice as chants of "Dez! Dez! Dez!" echoed from stands on the other side of the dome. "Dez is a good player and he is showing people that."

Not that no one had seen Bryant's dazzling ability before. It'd just been a while.

Bryant played in just three games at OSU last season, after the NCAA suspended him for lying to investigators about his relationship with Deion Sanders. Then came negative buzz in the run-up to the draft claiming Bryant often no-showed team meetings and skipped classes in Stillwater. Further digging into his background uncovered enough rumors and questions about Bryant's difficult upbringing that the Miami Dolphins asked Bryant during an interview at the NFL combine if his mother was a prostitute. Then came a less than impressive workout at his pro day, with Bryant telling his handlers he brought the wrong set of cleats.

The confluence of baggage -- in the eyes of NFL personnel types -- was enough to trump a 2008 All-America season when Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and a numbing 19 touchdowns (not to mention a career 19.6-yard average on punt returns). Bryant, once considered a possible top-five selection, saw his draft stock take a wicked dive.

That's when Dallas owner Jerry Jones, without a first-round pick, traded up on draft day to take the 6-foot-2, 217-pounder with the 24th pick in Round 1. Jones immediately showed his faith in Bryant by giving him No. 88, the same digit worn by Big-D icon wideouts Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin.

"I know what that number means," he said.

Bryant, who grew up in East Texas loving the Cowboys, signed a five-year, $11.8 million contract Thursday, becoming the first pick from the first round to come to terms with his team.

Now, it's all about football.



Bryant was so excited about officially making this new start that he didn't go to bed until 1 a.m. the night before his first pro practice and work up at 5. He was the first player to take the Alamodome field Saturday (to cheers) and the last to leave (to a standing ovation).

"To be honest, I don't care about anything that's happened in the past," Bryant said while signing dozens of autographs. "Everybody has opinions. As long as I stay positive, that's all that matters. As long as I know what kind of guy I am, Mr. Jones knows what kind of guy I am, and my team knows what kind of guy I am, that's all I care about."

So far, teammates have seen a humble kid with a passionate work ethic.

Veteran wideout Roy Williams, who figures to eventually lose his job to the rookie, was instantly impressed by Bryant's talent during mini-camps and organized team activities. And while Williams has been mostly a disappointment since being acquired in a mid-season trade in 2008, he wants to mentor Bryant in the nuances of being a pro receiver.

"He's just a guy that's eager; eager to get on the field and eager to help his team win," Williams said. "We know the technical part of [the game]. You guys just see the great catches and everything, but you don't see the small things that we know. We want to help him to help us -- so we have to help him help us."

That assistance extends off the field, too.

"He just has to keep good guys around him," 13-year veteran linebacker Keith Brooking said.

Brooking is one of most respected players in the clubhouse. It's probably no coincidence that his locker is next to Bryant's.

"You'd have to ask the higher-ups about that," Brooking said.

A key higher-up, Coach Wade Phillips, was asked about Bryant's first day.

"I thought he gave good effort and did some things," Phillips said.

That's it?

"I said during mini-camp, he looked as good as any guys I've seen at that position in a long time," Phillips continued, adding that he had rookie looks at the likes of Steve Largent and Cris Carter over the years. "But we have a long way to go before we even play a game and see how he does."

That's OK with Bryant.

He's come a long way already.

"I'm so excited to be here," Bryant said. "This is my dream team."