So theres this dumb story that dez bryant refused to carry roy williams shoulder pads after practice per the rookie hazing tradition. He says its because he "came to play, not carry pads." Really he is making a statement that he is a dramatic little moody cuss and this is a red flag for me. Not a bad omen for his prospects of being a great player but his prospect of being a team destroyer and contract holdout, and arrogant know it all. Get in line and shut up, let ur play speak for itself. Long term future is not good for this kid, short term should be explosive tho. look for a magical 3rd season then locker room disturbances leading to downward spiral of career. This is alot of speculation over one ridiculous story I know but it just made me mad and im venting.
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Dez wont carry williams pads (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Montana16
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BespokeJort
Footballguy
meh. this is the guy who he's competing with to start, who hasn't really proven much more than he has at the NFL level. If it was Miles Austin's pads I'd be more concerned...i don't expect him to defer to the guy whose job he's playing to take
Fear & Loathing
Footballguy
Good for him. It's an antiquated ritual anyway. I'm glad that he's showing fire and a capacity to stick up for himself in the face of a lame tradition, one usually involving at least one overzealous fringe veteran taking out his own frustrations on the new guys.
fridayfrenzy
Footballguy
It doesn't matter if it was Roy Williams or not. If it was a vet, then do the stupid rookie tradition and move on. Why bother causing any commotion over something as trivial as a "carrying pads" of a vet?
fridayfrenzy
Footballguy
Lame tradition or not, it is a tradition and not worth causing issues on a team over something as small as that.
Fear & Loathing
Footballguy
He deems it an issue worth resisting, and I agree with him. He's there to play football, not silly little playground indoctrination games.
fridayfrenzy
Footballguy
Dez Bryant is there to be a Dallas Cowboy and all the things which come with that. Dez Bryant can tell Roy Williams to pound sand, but seems like it would do more harm than good in terms of building player relationships.
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Craig_MiamiFL
Footballguy
Then cut Williams & be done with it.
Fear & Loathing
Footballguy
Roy Williams will be gone soon, and Bryant will be one of the best players on the team. This is a silly little non-story, and it will pass with Dez sticking up for what he thought was right. Bryant is doing all of the right things. Became the first first-rounder to sign, pushing his agent to get it done in time for camp. Was the first player on the field and the last to leave in the first practice. Just look at the quotes coming out of practice: "You think he doesn't love football?" offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "Watch him practice." "I think that he's an outstanding young person," said receivers coach Ray Sherman. "He's a guy that wants to learn, he wants to get better." More from Sherman:
"I know what it means to wear this number, I'm just trying to work hard and show I deserve it," Bryant said. "It's a big compliment, I just try to use it as motivation to get better." This is a non-story.
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This is a red flag for Roy Williams. He still thinks he doesn't suck? If I were a constant disappointment I wouldn't be hazing anybody. He should be shutting up and working hard, not ordering around the guy who is there because he sucks. And rookie hazing is about the most unprofessional thing ever.
firstseason1988
Footballguy
Where did you hear this, I don't see a link, ESPN?
As a rookie, Dez needs to be doing stuff like that. Hazing is part of being a rookie, if he refuses to do that, worse things will come his way, no doubt he will get broken, would like to see a link.
As a rookie, Dez needs to be doing stuff like that. Hazing is part of being a rookie, if he refuses to do that, worse things will come his way, no doubt he will get broken, would like to see a link.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
http://theredzone.org/BlogDescription.aspx?EntryId=8512http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...-williams-pads/Where did you hear this, I don't see a link, ESPN?
As a rookie, Dez needs to be doing stuff like that. Hazing is part of being a rookie, if he refuses to do that, worse things will come his way, no doubt he will get broken, would like to see a link.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Cowboys | Dez Bryant impressive first day of camp Comment (0)
Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:14:54 -0400
Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant caught everything in his vicinity during the team's first day of training camp, reports Jennifer Floyd Engel, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Bryant made one-handed catches and impressed some teammates.
Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl#657653#ixzz0umNJVO9i
I am warming more and more to Dez Bryant. Roy needs to be cut already. Bryant, Austin and Witten are going to be unstoppable.
Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:14:54 -0400
Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant caught everything in his vicinity during the team's first day of training camp, reports Jennifer Floyd Engel, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Bryant made one-handed catches and impressed some teammates.
Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl#657653#ixzz0umNJVO9i
I am warming more and more to Dez Bryant. Roy needs to be cut already. Bryant, Austin and Witten are going to be unstoppable.
bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
well Id tape his ### to the goalposts then, rookie is a rookie
Tackling Dummies
Footballguy
You do know that he was the first player picked in the 1st round to sign, right? Do not pee in the pool.
VaTerp
Footballguy
That's a good possibility. But as much as I would like this to be an issue for the Cowboys I don't think it is. And to suggest that this means Bryant will be a long term problem is ridiculous IMO.I think this says more about Roy Williams than it does about about Bryant. There are MANY ways to haze a rookie. Not all of them end up carrying pads, especially the pads of someone whose position they are likely to take sooner rather than later. The fact that Roy sought Bryant out to make him carry HIS pads, the fact that he talked to the media about a "step two" and even mentioned "illegal" activity such as using guys credit cards makes it seem to me that he is extremely insecure about the whole situation.I'm sure Bryant will endure some form of hazing as all rookies do but the fact that he stood up to Williams and in essence said "Rookie or not, I'm not going to play YOUR little mind game. I'm here to take your job by OUTWORKING you on the field not waste my energy carrying the pads of perennial disappointment." I also think its a big assumption to say that Bryant will lose the respect of his teamates for this. Id be willing to bet that many of them already have more respect for him and the work habits he's displayed thus far than they do for #11 who's work ethic has been questioned his entire career including his first year in Dallas.
Jason Wood
Zoo York
Golic talked about this on Mike and Mike and made the point that carrying pads for the vets at your position is the most benign and standard fare, along with singing at meals, in the NFL. He said in his career only two rookies refused potential hazing and they both nearly walked out of training camp. No one of Bryants pedigree had ever resisted hazing in his experience so he couldn't say how teammates would've taken it other than to be sure that they won't be happy he's putting his own ego over team tradition.
Now I'm personally of the mind that hazing is absurd but it's also unreasonable to compare a regular job and the expectations for how we're to behave with being a professional football player.
Now I'm personally of the mind that hazing is absurd but it's also unreasonable to compare a regular job and the expectations for how we're to behave with being a professional football player.
benson_will_lead_the_way
Footballguy
It doesn't matter which player asked him to carry his pads(yall are caught up on this) it's part of the process. To show that you will sacrifice your ego to be a part of the Dallas Cowboy family. Dez acted like he has already arrived and doesn't have to do it.
I personally know a hazing that we did at my college in which players shaved the freshman's hair. We had one freshman that refused....he became a non-liked member of the team. Which caused friction on and off the field.
Football is a family sport.....when a new member of the family thinks they are above what others had to do.....it causes friction.
I personally know a hazing that we did at my college in which players shaved the freshman's hair. We had one freshman that refused....he became a non-liked member of the team. Which caused friction on and off the field.
Football is a family sport.....when a new member of the family thinks they are above what others had to do.....it causes friction.
Recent history would suggest otherwise.
GreatLakesMike
Footballguy
I'm pretty sure this is nowhere near as big of a deal as some of you are making it to be.
I was always against the hazing tradition myself. It's absolutely foolish and doesn't do a thing except give the impression to that rookie that he is of lesser importance, when in fact, rookies can easily become the opposite of that for a team. I think the tradition is counter-productive for building team cohesion.
Alfredo Garcia
Footballguy
If I were a generic Cowboy, this would earn him more respect than carrying the pads with no complaints would have done. That said, I am interested in knowing whether he would have carried Austin's, Ware's or Romo's ( or even Crayton's ) pads.
TheDirtyWord
Footballguy
Cool that he does it now...however, would be a great show of leadership if in training camps after this one Bryant carried his own pads as if to say 'we're ALL here to play football, not carry someone elses shoulder pads'.
If not, opportunity wasted...but still not that big a deal.
If not, opportunity wasted...but still not that big a deal.
redBourne
Footballguy
I wonder what the response would have been if it was Romo asking Dez to carry his pads, or any other prominent Cowboy player. The fact that it was Roy Williams obviously (to me anyway) puts a different spin on the situation. Roy has been a complete disappointment and he's also the guy Dez is brought in to replace. But hazing has long been a tradition in football, and every team participates. It's not about taking advantage of a player, but as some suggested, letting others know that you're willing to sacrifice your pride and take shots for the good of the team.
I don't agree with the process, but I can see where it can create a uniformity amongst the players. With that being said, Dez is already proving to some of his players he's willing to sacrifice for the team by being the first to hit the field, the first to sign, etc. That will go a long way to building the locker room relationships, but he is making it more difficult on himself.
Regardless, I don't see this as a red flag yet. Would I have liked him to take his lumps and carry someone's pads? Yes, even if it was Williams'. Oh well.
I don't agree with the process, but I can see where it can create a uniformity amongst the players. With that being said, Dez is already proving to some of his players he's willing to sacrifice for the team by being the first to hit the field, the first to sign, etc. That will go a long way to building the locker room relationships, but he is making it more difficult on himself.
Regardless, I don't see this as a red flag yet. Would I have liked him to take his lumps and carry someone's pads? Yes, even if it was Williams'. Oh well.
Jason Wood
Zoo York
The quote would seem to indicate it would've been the same regardless of who owned the pads:
EXACTLY. Not that this will have any impact on the outcome of his on field career, but for me the jury is still VERY much out on this kid one way or another and if he were to make a point of talking out against hazing NEXT year, that would impress me to no end.
KellysHeroes
Footballguy
Game on Roy.... the kid is there to push you out.
Longhorn daddy
Footballguy
Carrying pads is no big deal like firstseason said above and the link provided says, step 2 will come, and it will come and be more harsh. Hazing is part of all business to some degree. The military does it and calls it "basic training". Dez will be fine, but he should pick his battles and carrying shoulder pads isn't one I would pick. I don't necessarily agree with it, but it is part of NFL life.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Good for Dez. Hazing is a worn out tradition and it doesn't ensure championships that's for sure. Someone like Dez is coming in and establishing himself. Roy doesn't deserve to have his pads carried for him. Dez is still too high in redrafts but I like his atitude so far.
UTLonghorn31
Footballguy
I think people are too caught up who asked rather than Bryant has already put himself on a pedestal.
Bryant not carrying the pads of a vet (come on, you guys use the term hazing, but that is light task... it doesn't take away from football or not a game as he is headed back to the locker room anyway) but putting himself above a rookie tradition will speak volumes to the veterans and football office personnel that this is not a team guy or a potential future locker room cancer... sorry, but it is a red flag in the business. You guys saying it is ok are doing it based on the quality of player that asked. Sure, it maybe would have been better for someone else to have done it, but Roy Williams was a higher pick than Bryant and Williams did it as a rookie as well as all other players. Just because of Roy Williams/Dez Bryant's perceived value going future is heavily in Dez's future does not mean he is above doing the things that all rookies do that have never played a down. Now Bryant has already caused a team distraction by effectively saying, "I don't have to do the things all other rookies before me have done." This will make him a marked target across the league by vets.
Bryant not carrying the pads of a vet (come on, you guys use the term hazing, but that is light task... it doesn't take away from football or not a game as he is headed back to the locker room anyway) but putting himself above a rookie tradition will speak volumes to the veterans and football office personnel that this is not a team guy or a potential future locker room cancer... sorry, but it is a red flag in the business. You guys saying it is ok are doing it based on the quality of player that asked. Sure, it maybe would have been better for someone else to have done it, but Roy Williams was a higher pick than Bryant and Williams did it as a rookie as well as all other players. Just because of Roy Williams/Dez Bryant's perceived value going future is heavily in Dez's future does not mean he is above doing the things that all rookies do that have never played a down. Now Bryant has already caused a team distraction by effectively saying, "I don't have to do the things all other rookies before me have done." This will make him a marked target across the league by vets.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Let's cut to the chase then since it's a red flag for several posters. What are you saying? Dez will stink in redraft this year? Dez is a TO cancer? Dez won't have an NFL career? Sounds like a lot of haters to me and he's done very well in camps to this point. Are we rooting against Dez? Why does anyone care that he didn't want to carry Roy Williams pads? Aren't all NFL WRs that excel a prima donna of sorts by trait?
I want projections and I want the moneyline on Dez having a good rookie campaign.
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FUBAR
Footballguy
Yeah, we did the same thing in High School and to enter into a college frat. Not to earn a job on a professional association. Similar to your story, when I was a sophomore we had one frosh refuse to get shaved. Until a senior everyone respected took him aside, I don't know what he said, but the kid came back, got shaved and all was good. I'm not too concerned with this, but Dez will continue to be scrutinized to see if this is the start of being a bad teammate or just standing up for his beliefs. Can't help but wonder if Deion encouraged this. If Romo asks him to do something and he doesn't, then I'll have more concerns. Roy hasn't proven himself worthy of being able to haze; he reminds me of some of the losers we had on the team and in the frat who wouldn't do anything productive but were all about "indoctrination".
Or, someone will take Dez off to the side and explain to him his mistake. He'll get some other form of hazing during training camp. And, this will all be forgotten by the first NFL pass he catches. Maybe this is a big red flag. We won't know until later. The people who are sure it is are overreacting just as much as the people who were slobbering all over Dez when he was on the field early the first day of camp.
ImTheScientist
Footballguy
Good for Dez.
Chase Stuart
Footballguy
If anyone knows what to do to build team cohesion and win championships, it's the modern day Dallas Cowboys. Can't see what Dez is thinking here.
BroncoFreak_2K3
sucker for Orange
dude plain sux
Texasmouth
Footballguy
You either hate the Cowboys or you are a Cowboys fan...
To EVERYONE else this is a big deal and blah blah blah...
To Cowboys fans, this is not a major issue.
I wouldn't carry Roy Williams friggin pads either. That guy is a bum and if he didnt suck, the Cowboys could have drafted a top named safety instead of using a pick on Bryant in the first place.
To EVERYONE else this is a big deal and blah blah blah...
To Cowboys fans, this is not a major issue.
I wouldn't carry Roy Williams friggin pads either. That guy is a bum and if he didnt suck, the Cowboys could have drafted a top named safety instead of using a pick on Bryant in the first place.
Jason Wood
Zoo York
I think it speaks to potential issues down the road, but I hardly think it supersedes a) his talents and b) how intensely focused he appeared to be on the first day of practice. The WR position is the Diva position, and so it's not shocking that he might have some of those tendencies, nor is it a death knell. I would love to hear other former players weigh in. Like I said, so far the only NFL vet I've heard from is Golic, and a few buddies who played college ball. All thought that it was weak of Dez to do what he did, and that it speaks to a "me before team" viewpoint. But none of them (well, I didn't get to ask Golic this
) would turn Dez away from their favorite NFL team either. 
Let's keep fair and balanced here good buddy. Pad carrying happens all across the league, and has for ages. I'm not saying it's right, mind you, but it's the norm.
jasvic
Footballguy
For everyone saying they hate the hazing, but it's a "tradition" and Dez should get in line. Maybe if more players stopped going along with this grade school tradition, it would come to an end. Only way things will change is if people step up and make it change. As others said, if the rest of his career he never gives his pads to a rookie, I'll be impressed. Start in high school and stop this garbage.
sholditch
Footballguy
Bryant has proven NOTHING at the NFL level. Roy Williams had at least one elite season and a few more that were pretty good. Carry the pads and shut up. Red flag for me too.
Johnny Ice
Footballguy
I think this is more about Dez dissing Roy Williams, basically firing a first shot saying he respects nothing about his game and will be taking his job. If Dez denied Romo then this story will be more interesting.
rizzler
Footballguy
Conformist.
