Dez Bryant Apologizes For Walking Off Field In Dallas Cowboys Last Loss
By Shawn Lealos
It seems like whenever Dez Bryant does something, the TV cameras are always on him, the spotlight shining brighter than on anyone other than maybe Tony Romo. After Romo threw an interception at the end of the Cowboys' final possession of the game with the Green Bay Packers, and the officials confirmed it, Bryant walked off the field and up the tunnel while there was still over a minute left in the game.
If Miles Austin or Terrance Williams had left the field as the clock was still ticking, no one might have noticed, but since it was Dez Bryant, it became another instance of his immaturity as an NFL star and another reason why there are problems within the Cowboys locker room. The problem will always be that every move Bryant makes will be scrutinized and people will always expect the worst.
When asked about it, Bryant said that he left the field because he did not want people to see him crying. While that might seem like a lame excuse, the fact that Bryant said he was crying after the loss is not the first thing you would expect from an NFL football player who is trying to make an excuse for bad behavior.
When head coach Jason Garrett was asked about the incident, he said that he would be talking to Bryant about it and explaining that it is unprofessional and unsportsmanlike to walk off on his team at the end of a tough loss.
It was enough to make people forget that Bryant had a great game. He led both teams with 11 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. No other Cowboys receiver had more than four receptions. Bryant did everything in his power to help Dallas win, fighting for more yards and powering his way to move the chains every time he touched the ball.
Any player on the Cowboys will tell people that no one on this team has more passion and desire to win than Bryant, and he is a team-first player, not a player who only cares about his stats. People seem reluctant to believe this, which explains so many articles talking about his "self destructive" behavior. The biggest crime that Dez Bryant commits for the Dallas Cowboys is caring too much about winning. That is a crime more Cowboys should commit.
Tony Romo made some big mistakes in the game on Sunday, including checking off on a run play and then immediately throwing an interception. Jason Garrett and Bill Callahan made some bone head calls in the second half when they should have been running the ball more and letting that clock run out. The defense was horrible again in the second half and a mix of injuries and blown coverage cost Dallas the game.
Yet, the big news coming out of the game was Dez Bryant walking off the field before the game was officially over with because he didn't want people to see him cry. That is almost a perfect look at what is wrong with the Dallas Cowboys in 2013.
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Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.
