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I read this article and it really kind of changed the way I feel about Dez Bryant. It did pull on my heartstrings a bit but maybe this kid has a huge upside. I think we could definitely get him to practice on time....
Here is the article, if it's been posted already....My apologies in advance.
By ARMANDO SALGUERO
The NFL draft is as much about uncovering truth as uncovering talent and if you need proof of that I present Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who last week only half-kiddingly admitted his team sometimes brings prospects to town to throw other teams off Miami's scent.
Truth is important to NFL teams this time of year. Last year, there were rumors cornerback Vontae Davis was something of a problem child at Illinois and that was one reason he was available to Miami late in the first round.
The Dolphins recognized the truth about Davis and reaped a reward. And so it's important this year that Miami find out the truth about Dez Bryant.
Bryant is the next best hope the Dolphins have for solving their troubling lack of playmakers. He is this coming draft's best wide receiver. He was a play-making machine at Oklahoma State and most draft experts agree is can be that again in the NFL.
But Bryant also is something of a walking rumor -- one the Dolphins must unravel.
You've probably heard the rumors: Bryant is a bad guy from a bad background. The NCAA suspended him last year. He is trouble.
Well, here is the truth: Dez Bryant has never been arrested. He has never been busted for drugs. He has never been pulled over for DUI. He has never had a domestic battery issue or been violent in a bar or a locker room.
A FEW INCIDENTS
No, Bryant is not a saint. He did, in fact, lie to the NCAA last year when he panicked during an investigation into his relationship with Deion Sanders -- a relationship that was not against NCAA rules, by the way.
And Bryant is immature and did have troubles at Oklahoma State with being on time to team functions, including perhaps, arriving only 90 minutes before one game.
But a thug?
Not Dez Bryant.
He is 21 years old and although the tardiness suggests he is immature, he is also adult enough to know he has to address that issue.
That's the reason Bryant has hired a ``life skills coach,'' according to people who are close to him.
This coach is making sure Bryant follows a regimen and gets where he needs to be on time. This coach is making sure Bryant manages his life in an orderly manner. This life coach is basically helping Bryant develop habits that will allow him to be a responsible person and productive player.
And this coach is expected to be with Bryant until those habits are fully formed.
Well, you might wonder, why does Bryant need someone to help him learn the right habits at this stage in his life?
Because his life early on was a living hell.
DYSFUNCTIONAL START
Bryant was conceived when his mother was 12 years old. He is the product of what can legally be described as statutory rape, as his father was approximately 40 years old at the time.
Bryant's mom had three children by the time she was 18 and was in jail serving time for drug dealing by the time she was 23.
Bryant's father? He has been out of the picture since that fateful winter night when he kicked his pre-teen son out on the street because the kid took too much food out of the refrigerator.
Bryant lived wherever he could after that. He stayed with friends. He stayed with coaches. He even lived in cars for a short time.
Can you now understand why he doesn't have all the life skills down to a science?
Yet out of this depressing, distressing mess, Bryant is not a lost cause. He is, actually, a diamond in the rough, a grand possibility.
DOUBTS LINGER
Some NFL teams will surely look at Bryant and see a project they don't want to bother with. The Jacksonville Jaguars, for example, have reportedly taken him off their draft board.
But are those teams seeing the truth?
The truth is any man able to overcome the troubles Bryant has can certainly overcome the adversity of press coverage or the pressure of a fourth-quarter drive. Life punched Bryant in the mouth when he was a boy. He's not likely to get knocked out by the NFL's demands as a man.
The Dolphins will hopefully recognize the truth about Bryant. And they will hopefully be alert to the differences between his lack of skills and bounty of gifts.
The life skills Bryant lacks can be taught. But the football gifts he possess are rare, and either come naturally or never come at all.
Here is the article, if it's been posted already....My apologies in advance.
By ARMANDO SALGUERO
The NFL draft is as much about uncovering truth as uncovering talent and if you need proof of that I present Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who last week only half-kiddingly admitted his team sometimes brings prospects to town to throw other teams off Miami's scent.
Truth is important to NFL teams this time of year. Last year, there were rumors cornerback Vontae Davis was something of a problem child at Illinois and that was one reason he was available to Miami late in the first round.
The Dolphins recognized the truth about Davis and reaped a reward. And so it's important this year that Miami find out the truth about Dez Bryant.
Bryant is the next best hope the Dolphins have for solving their troubling lack of playmakers. He is this coming draft's best wide receiver. He was a play-making machine at Oklahoma State and most draft experts agree is can be that again in the NFL.
But Bryant also is something of a walking rumor -- one the Dolphins must unravel.
You've probably heard the rumors: Bryant is a bad guy from a bad background. The NCAA suspended him last year. He is trouble.
Well, here is the truth: Dez Bryant has never been arrested. He has never been busted for drugs. He has never been pulled over for DUI. He has never had a domestic battery issue or been violent in a bar or a locker room.
A FEW INCIDENTS
No, Bryant is not a saint. He did, in fact, lie to the NCAA last year when he panicked during an investigation into his relationship with Deion Sanders -- a relationship that was not against NCAA rules, by the way.
And Bryant is immature and did have troubles at Oklahoma State with being on time to team functions, including perhaps, arriving only 90 minutes before one game.
But a thug?
Not Dez Bryant.
He is 21 years old and although the tardiness suggests he is immature, he is also adult enough to know he has to address that issue.
That's the reason Bryant has hired a ``life skills coach,'' according to people who are close to him.
This coach is making sure Bryant follows a regimen and gets where he needs to be on time. This coach is making sure Bryant manages his life in an orderly manner. This life coach is basically helping Bryant develop habits that will allow him to be a responsible person and productive player.
And this coach is expected to be with Bryant until those habits are fully formed.
Well, you might wonder, why does Bryant need someone to help him learn the right habits at this stage in his life?
Because his life early on was a living hell.
DYSFUNCTIONAL START
Bryant was conceived when his mother was 12 years old. He is the product of what can legally be described as statutory rape, as his father was approximately 40 years old at the time.
Bryant's mom had three children by the time she was 18 and was in jail serving time for drug dealing by the time she was 23.
Bryant's father? He has been out of the picture since that fateful winter night when he kicked his pre-teen son out on the street because the kid took too much food out of the refrigerator.
Bryant lived wherever he could after that. He stayed with friends. He stayed with coaches. He even lived in cars for a short time.
Can you now understand why he doesn't have all the life skills down to a science?
Yet out of this depressing, distressing mess, Bryant is not a lost cause. He is, actually, a diamond in the rough, a grand possibility.
DOUBTS LINGER
Some NFL teams will surely look at Bryant and see a project they don't want to bother with. The Jacksonville Jaguars, for example, have reportedly taken him off their draft board.
But are those teams seeing the truth?
The truth is any man able to overcome the troubles Bryant has can certainly overcome the adversity of press coverage or the pressure of a fourth-quarter drive. Life punched Bryant in the mouth when he was a boy. He's not likely to get knocked out by the NFL's demands as a man.
The Dolphins will hopefully recognize the truth about Bryant. And they will hopefully be alert to the differences between his lack of skills and bounty of gifts.
The life skills Bryant lacks can be taught. But the football gifts he possess are rare, and either come naturally or never come at all.
Center, 3. OT
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