Rookie refuses to carry pads for vet Roy Williams Brad Biggs
Some didn’t believe Dez Bryant would be OK falling in line when it came time to get a contract and dealing with the slotting system as the 24th pick in the draft.
After all, he is represented by Eugene Parker, the agent who tried to pull a power play with a wide receiver who thought he deserved more than slot pay a year ago, San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree.
But Bryant signed on time, arriving with the rest of his Dallas Cowboys teammates in San Antonio for the start of training camp. What Bryant doesn’t believe he has to fall in line when it comes to a rite of passage for rookies in the NFL – carrying the pads of a veteran teammates. Specifically, Bryant wanted nothing to do with carrying the pads of Roy Williams after practice, the veteran wide receiver who many believe Bryant will be taking playing time from this season.
Williams handed his shoulder pads to Bryant following the morning practice Sunday, according to ESPN Dallas. That didn’t go over real well.
“I'm not doing it,” Bryant said, according to the report. “I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player's pads.
“If I was a free agent, it would still be the same thing. I just feel like I'm here to play football. I'm here to try to help win a championship, not carry someone's pads. I'm saying that out of no disrespect to (anyone).”
Rookies everywhere are asked to carry pads. All do it knowing it’s something they’ll only have to do for one season. This isn’t something that is specific to the Cowboys, Williams or this training camp.
“Everybody has to go through it,” said Williams, a former first-round pick himself. “I had to go through it. No matter if you're a No. 1 pick or the 7,000th pick, you've still got to do something when you're a rookie.
"I carried pads. I paid for dinners. I paid for lunches. I did everything I was supposed to do, because I didn't want to be that guy.”
That guy is the rookie who feels he’s above the things newcomers have to do to fit in on an NFL team, a time-honored tradition. Williams has a point. Whether it’s his pads or those belonging to Miles Austin or any other veteran, Bryant should be happy to haul them off the field along with his own knowing his turn is going to come one day.
Bryant wants to stand out for making plays and he’s already immensely popular with the Cowboys fans. There is no reason to give his teammates or anyone else a reason to question him. Falling in line isn’t difficult in this case. Bryant should pick up the pads.
Williams said that step two could be around the corner if Bryant doesn’t do his part. What’s step two?
“We'll find out. Definitely going to find out," Williams said. "I don't know. I've seen guys take people's credit cards and go fill up their cards and wife's cards and everything. There's a lot of dirt that goes on in that locker room.”
While no one should condone that kind of behavior, Bryant needs to understand that Jerry Rice once carried pads. So have all the other greats.
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I'm with Dez on this one. As old saying goes: just cause everyone's doing it...
Have some self-respect. Good for Dez.
i could see him carrying "the playmakers" pads ,,,, but not someone who has not done jack in 3 years
Same thoughts as gphunk - I would carry another players' pads, just not Roy Williams'
Roy Williams sounds like a world class pr*ck. I bet he still thinks he's the #1 or #2 receiver
It is a sign of respect to older players to do something like that. It doesn't take much effort and is not demeaning to carry another person pads. Just like opening a door for a lady or helping an older person carry their groceries. People don't "have" to do those things, but it is a sign of respect.
Dez has a problem with respecting people and respecting the rules as evidenced by his suspension from college last year and his behavior before the draft. It is part of being a professional in football and every other job in society and he better learn that very soon.
It's a non-issue that wouldn't be reported if it wasn't Dez Bryant. The time to say something is next year when Bryant hands his pads to a rookie to carry off the field. then and only then should somebody bring up the double standard.
If Bryant wants to speak publicly about the need to end hazing I will support him; after all if a high school senior hands his pads to a high school freshman that senior is suspended and possibly kicked off the team for hazing. Think about the message that is being sent by Bryant being criticized for standing up for himself.
if i was dez i would have told him to tell his mama to carry his pads
I cannot believe how many people condone this cocky behavior - EVERY rookie does this, people Far better than Dez Bryant have done it out of respect to the game. This isn't real hazing, no one gets remotely hurt, unless he's not strong enough to carry two sets of pads. Gimme a break, another Diva WR comes into the game but people in Cowboy nation think it's funny cuz he does it to Roy Williams. T.O.'s "fun" antics wore out pretty quickly tho... how long until this guy does??
This is the reason why teams like Denver passed on this kid. What a sniveling turd.
I realize that hazing the rookies is time honored and that they all do it, but it would seem to be the Byrant has a point, he is there to play football not be some ones maid. To me it will cause more strife to push the whole thing if he is that adamant about not doing it. And as to taking it to the next level, the idea of taking his credit cards and maxing them out, that is plain theft and I for one would seek out justice either through the Cowboys organization and if no relief there, the actual authorities.
I hope someone does try to commit grand larceny against Deaz Bryant and loses his career to jail time for it. Maybe that will finally end the childish practice of rookie hazing. It has nothing to do with "teaching rookies". Like all bullying, its about making the vets feel better about how much power the teams have over them by proving they can exert power over someone else.
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I wish him only the best. Get well, young man.
This stuff happens, didn't cause Terrell Davis to retire, as that actually was the knee injury he sustained while tackling a Jet on an INT - that being said he was always and the donkeys cognizant of this issue with Daivs as well...migraines and nuerological problems are real for damn sure and don't make an NFL players life any easier - and seriously "karma" - give it a rest already - Favre's not the devil, hasn't been sighted hanging with Lucifer or sacrificying any virgins - well lately anyway - that was the "before PG Favre" that's marketed for mass consumption...
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Jul 26, 2010
06:26 AM
Hazing is childish. Grow up and get rid of these stupid little kid pranks. If you want rookies to "get in line", then change their payscale system. Make all rookie contracts incentive based. That way overrated first round picks who become busts - like Williams - will not get paid garaunteed money.