Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant joined the G-Bag Nation on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM] to discuss his former team’s return to the playoffs and more. Here are some of the highlights, edited for clarity.
Are you excited to see the Cowboys back in the playoffs?
Bryant: “I’m real excited. First and foremost, I’d like to give a shoutout to Will McClay doing the awesome job that he do. Going out there and getting dogs to add more value to that team to have the best chances to go after a Super Bowl. Big salute to him, big salute to the Joneses, big salute to the players, Dak [Prescott] Zeke [Elliott], I love what you guys are doing... They’ve got a good chance of going to that big game.”
On the growth of Dak Prescott at quarterback...
Bryant: “I’ve watched Dak grow tremendously. You can tell just by his demeanor. He took those reigns and he’s ran with it. Those guys respect him, you can tell. You don’t have to be in that locker room to see the impact he has on not only those guys, but Cowboys nation. All credit to him for that. Those guys are going to go out there and play for him. Dak’s still improving. Sometimes, I look at him and I’ll be like [expletive]. I didn’t think he could get better, but he’s a lot better. And he keeps getting better and he can only get better. He has no limits to where he can go and I feel like he’s going to go out here and he’s going to have a good mindset and he’s really going to put on a show for the people.”
If Mike McCarthy asked you to speak to the Cowboys, what would your message be to them?
Bryant: “First and foremost, I’d keep it real blunt. It’s one and done. It’s a tournament... You’ve got to prepare physically, you’ve got to prepare mentally and you’ve got to understand that every play counts. You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low... You’ve got to stay the course. You’ve got to understand that it’s a long game and you’ve got to be very confident not only in the game plan, but your actions on the field, your approach.”
Is it true that the Cowboys are undefeated when you’re in the building?
Bryant: “That is true. I will be in the building [for Cowboys-49ers].”
On thinking about “the catch” against the Packers...
Bryant: “It’s always mixed emotions. At the same time, you’ve got to look past those things. It’s great to be a part of history, but I hate to have to be on that side, but it’s still great. As you said earlier, everybody in the world knows I caught it. I absolutely did catch it. I’m glad to see the NFL change the rule so [officials] can get out of the way and let receivers do what receivers do.”
How much effort are you putting into trying to play in the NFL again?
Bryant: “I would love to still play in the NFL. I still have the willpower, I don’t think that’s a question. One of the biggest problems I had with the league was the business side. I say that not to disparage nobody, especially not a player. Everybody goes through their own situations. I just know for me, I’m a athlete. What I love to do is just show athletes how to build their brand, make sure they’re taking credit — because I hadn’t learned. A lot of athletes just focus on the glitz and glamor and they don’t really see the true side of the business side. Because all we care about is making plays on the football field... I want these guys to own their intellectual property. I want them to own anything they can own if their name is associated with it.”
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