Friday, Saturday, Sunday in Texas

by Nick Eatman

  The phrases were short, but they were catching on. Whether or not they were making a difference mentally inside these players’ heads was up for debate, but they were at least conversational pieces for the media, who were inquisitive enough to ask around about the meanings.

  And for Garrett, if people were talking about it, the message was getting across.

  And Garrett expected the message to get across for all of his team—from the coaching staff up through the team’s top talent.

  And while new players had been added all across the team, the top talent still included the familiar faces of the franchise: Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and of course, quarterback Tony Romo. All three of them had taken vastly different journeys to reach this status. Bryant was the ultra-talented lightning rod of a player who could be just as explosive off the field, including a few brushes with the law during his first five years in Dallas, but had developed into a dynamic star on the field who seemed to finally have football as his top priority.

  Witten was the most constant thing about the Cowboys other than their mediocre record since he arrived in 2003. The tough-as-nails tight end had missed only one game in his previous twelve years, and not one since a broken jaw in his rookie season forced him to miss the only game of his illustrious career.

  And then there was Romo, who might have rivaled Witten when it came to toughness, as he had fought through two back surgeries the past two seasons but managed to have a career season in 2014, amidst unreal and often unrealistic expectations that come with being the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Romo earned a few NFL MVP votes in 2014 as he was the league’s most efficient passer and got his team to within a controversial play from perhaps reaching the NFC Championship Game.

  Romo, Witten, and Bryant all arrived at Oxnard, not only uttering similar messages from Garrett, but donning his shirts as well. One player who wasn’t sporting any of the shirts during the first six days of camp, though, was veteran defensive end Jeremy Mincey. He had been a pleasant surprise in 2014, not only posting a solid year rushing the passer, but also providing leadership in the locker room, despite it being his first season with the team.

  But when he refused to report to training camp, it was a surprising setback for the Cowboys, who didn’t see it coming. Mincey, entering the final season of his contract, was hoping for at least another year to be added to the deal. In 2014, he missed a $500,000 playing-time incentive by just eleven snaps. He also knew that while the Cowboys signed fellow defensive end Greg Hardy in the off-season, Hardy’s four-game suspension would leave them even more vulnerable if Mincey weren’t in the mix.

  Moments like these were yet another example of why the NFL is indeed a business. A high school or even college player doesn’t have the leverage to send a message by missing a week of practice, or even one day, without extreme consequences.

  However, Cowboys’ Executive Vice President Stephen Jones, the son of owner Jerry Jones, was pretty firm when asked about Mincey’s negotiating ploy. Stephen was also the director of player personnel and was expected to take over for his father one day.

  “We won’t discuss anything with Jeremy if he’s not here,” he said.

  After nearly a week, Mincey showed up, met with the Joneses, and was on the field soon thereafter. The Cowboys waived the $30,000 in fines that Mincey had accumulated for missing time, but did not cave on the request to add another year to his contract.

  “This is the business side of it,” Mincey said. “I wanted to take care of my family. But there’s no hard feelings. I’m ready to work.”

  That was in front of the cameras. However, whispers around camp were starting to surface that Mincey’s real issue wasn’t so much about another year, but the team’s decision to fork over so much money to Hardy, who had a chance to earn more than $12 million for just one season. Here was Mincey, who had become one of the vocal leaders of the defense last year, now taking a backseat on the field, financially, and perhaps even as the established veteran in the locker room.

  Despite any concerns, Mincey’s infectious smile never wavered and the usually happy-go-lucky lineman carried about his business.

  Meanwhile, not everyone was smiling around camp, especially following an afternoon practice that saw a couple of Oklahoma State alumni trading punches in the middle of the field. Dez Bryant and cornerback Tyler Patmon got into a heated scuffle during a play, which before long escalated into a full-on fight with Bryant landing a haymaker punch to the back of Patmon’s head.

  Eventually those two would make up, but things wouldn’t end so pleasantly a few days later when the then-St. Louis Rams came to town for a combined practice with the Cowboys. With hundreds of California-based fans hoping the Rams would make the move back to Los Angeles, the stands were flooded with blue and gold jerseys and flags, as the locals were able to get an up-close look at the intense workout.

  And once again, Patmon and Dez—who wasn’t even practicing because he was rehabbing a hamstring injury, but still limping his way some two hundred yards to get in the mix—were right in the middle of what became an ugly scene that stretched across two fields.

  Last year’s motto was “Fight,” but it was certainly carrying over into 2015.

  Garrett’s messages could come in many ways. Not only were there dozens of motivational signs around the locker room at the team’s training facility in Valley Ranch, but the walls of the team meeting room were covered with quick, striking signs that read “Attack” or “Relentless” and “The Ball, The Ball, The Ball” to stress the importance of turnovers.

  On road games, players, coaches, and staff members would often get Cowboys-decorated key cards for their hotel rooms. Messages such as “The Team, The Team, The Team” were printed on the back.

  As the Cowboys left Oxnard for their second preseason game, having already dropped their exhibition opener at San Diego, 17–7, Garrett used the location to send yet another inspirational message. This would be the club’s first trip to San Francisco’s new Levi’s Stadium, which would just so happen to also be the site of Super Bowl 50 the following February.

  While it was customary for the Cowboys to head straight from the airport to the hotel on the night before the game, this time Garrett wanted the team to hold a walk-through practice at the stadium instead. Now, one of the reasons could’ve been the newly sodded turf that had been a cause for concern for both teams. At least that was an easy excuse for Garrett to take his players to the field the night before.

  But the visit could have also been just another calculated message from Garrett, the coach wanting his players to get a firsthand look at their desired destination. When asked by a reporter about the reasoning behind the scheduling change before the team’s departure to San Francisco, Garrett smiled.

  “We just thought it was a good idea to go up there,” he said. “If you’re a player, coach, or staff member in this league, and you don’t have a goal of winning the Super Bowl, you’re doing the wrong thing.”

  Once in San Francisco, Garrett indeed hammered the point home to his players about returning in February, telling them all, “We’ve got to focus on the task at hand, and that’s winning this game, but the overall goal of this team is to get back here again.”

  Unfortunately, the Cowboys looked like anything but a Super Bowl contender against the 49ers, a game that saw few starters play more than a handful of snaps, if any. The Cowboys lost, 23–6, but that was nothing compared to the even bigger loss they were about to suffer back in Oxnard during the final week of camp.

  “It’s my ACL!” cornerback Orlando Scandrick yelled on the practice field during a team drill. “It’s my ACL. I know it. It’s gone. Shiiit!”

  Scandrick had been run into by rookie receiver Lucky Whitehead, who caught a pass over the middle, but couldn’t stop his momentum before ramming into the cornerback, whose leg was planted in the grass. Scandrick
immediately hollered, writhing in pain as he tried to roll over, unable to bring his right leg with him.

  Considered one of the smartest players on the team and a student of the game, Scandrick also happened to be the Cowboys’ best cover cornerback. That’s why a sickening feeling was shared among the team, coaches, and, of course, the fans around the fence line as they watched Scandrick being carted off the field with his head buried in a towel. He knew what the MRI was going to say. He knew his season was over before it even started.

  “Man, we’ve got to get out of here,” cornerback Brandon Carr joked, referring to the near five-week stay of training camp. “It’s time to go home. We can’t have another injury like this.”

  And while he wasn’t aware of it at the time of his comment, his head coach was thinking the same thing. On the Monday of that week, he informed his operations staff of his desire to leave one day early and head back to Dallas on Thursday instead of the initial plan of Friday.

  In fact, Garrett tried his best to hide the news from all of the players and coaches. However, by Thursday morning, with the weight room already being cleared out and loaded onto an eighteen-wheeler for the trip back, word started to spread like wildfire.

  Garrett called the team up for a huddle at the end of the morning walk-through, hoping to spark a celebration from a group that was dying to get back to its families, friends, and own beds.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do,” Garrett said. “We’re going to put six linemen, three offense and three defense, down here to catch a punt. If any of these six guys can catch the punt in the air … we’re going to get on those buses over there … and we’re going to the Point Mugu Air Force Base … so we can go home today!”

  “Woo-hoo!” shouted out one—and only one—player, who sounded sarcastic in his tone.

  The players had found out, somewhat ruining Garrett’s attempt at delivering the special news. Still, they all wanted to make sure they’d get to go home. And sure enough, rookie defensive end Randy Gregory made a diving catch on the first punt, creating a rather loud ovation from his teammates, who joyfully jogged off the field, knowing they had just a couple of hours to pack for the flight back to Dallas—even though some might have already been packed.

  On Saturday night, the Cowboys then took on the Minnesota Vikings in their third preseason game, also known as the dress rehearsal for the regular season. The starters always play about a half, and this affair was no exception. Quarterback Tony Romo had two touchdown passes, including one to Whitehead that was proof enough that the savvy veteran was ready for the season. Romo stood in the pocket for nearly five seconds, twisting and turning his body to avoid the rush before stepping up to find his darting target over the middle.

  “Thatta baby, nine!” Garrett said, as he often referred to his players by their jersey number. “That’s how it’s done.”

  It might have just been another preseason touchdown, but to Garrett, it was a sign that his quarterback still had the moves that had made him one of the more electrifying players he’d ever been around.

  Garrett’s eyes always widened and oftentimes turned glossy when asked to speak about Romo, a quarterback that he could certainly relate to. Unlike many of the NFL’s top passers who were first-round picks, including number one selections such as Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Cam Newton, and Andrew Luck, Romo’s path was a bumpy one.

  After a successful career at the Division I-AA level, Romo left Eastern Illinois as one of the school’s most prolific passers, but NFL teams weren’t exactly knocking down his door. The only reason he was invited to the scouting combine in Indianapolis—a showcase for the top rookies to work out in front of NFL teams to improve their stock for the annual college draft—was to be an extra thrower for the defensive players in drills. Romo wasn’t one of the top quarterbacks in a class that included Carson Palmer, but he showed just enough talent to get a call from both the Cowboys and Broncos after the completion of the 2003 NFL Draft. At that point, Romo was an undrafted free agent and could choose his team. While he had a couple of former Eastern Illinois alums fighting for his services in Sean Payton, the Cowboys’ quarterback coach at the time, and Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, Romo picked Dallas, thinking he had a better shot of making the roster that included Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, and Clint Stoerner at the time.

  Romo’s first head coach, the legendary Bill Parcells, didn’t like everything about his rookie quarterback’s game at first glance. But he knew there was potential. And that’s why he kept him on the roster without playing him for three full seasons before finally giving him his shot in the middle of the 2006 season. Romo took over a 3–3 team and helped lead them into the playoffs, where cruel fate would end his storybook run. Romo, also serving as the holder on field goals, dropped the snap that likely would’ve given Dallas a playoff win in Seattle, but instead sent the Cowboys home early, and sent Bill Parcells into coaching retirement for good.

  The following season was where Romo would get a new quarterbacks coach in Garrett, who not only had playing experience, but also traveled a scenic route to the league. He was also undrafted after a stellar career at Princeton. Garrett spent a season in San Antonio in the World Football League before making the Cowboys’ roster in 1992, serving as the third backup to Troy Aikman. Garrett eventually played eight years in Dallas, winning three Super Bowl rings as a backup quarterback who started just nine games.

  But as coach and player, Garrett and Romo went to new heights in 2007, as the Cowboys went 13–3 before stumbling in the playoffs. And that would serve as the recurring theme for both of them: regular-season success, only to see their seasons end in disappointment.

  Garrett’s first three seasons as the full-time head coach of the Cowboys ended with gut-wrenching losses in the final game with the NFC East title and trips to the playoffs on the line. Each time, Romo and Garrett faltered, as the Cowboys limped to an 8–8 record. But in 2014, Romo was able to manage a back injury that required surgery just eight months earlier, then guide the Cowboys to a 12–4 mark and the team’s second playoff victory in twenty seasons.

  So as the Cowboys embarked on this new season, one full of high expectations, Garrett had a little extra power in his helmet slap with Romo, knowing that the veteran leader of this team was ready for the season.

  And with that, Romo was finished for the night and for the rest of the preseason, as the Cowboys traditionally rested all starters and some key backups in the fourth exhibition game.

  Dallas lost this one to the Vikings, 28–14, but was more victorious in other areas, most notably on the injury front. Not only did they escape their final meaningful preseason game—perhaps an oxymoron—without any serious damage, they also started to see some of their pressing training camp questions answered.

  The question of Terrance Williams’ speed was put to rest as he zipped past Minnesota defenders for a 60-yard touchdown. The question of Gregory continuing to play at a high level was answered with his third sack in three preseason games.

  And perhaps the biggest non-quarterback question of the off-season, just who would step up in the race for the starting running back position, got a little clarity when veteran Darren McFadden showed he still had some speed and quickness, rushing for thirty-seven yards on four carries. If anything, it gave the Cowboys some hope that both McFadden and Joseph Randle were capable of filling the void left behind after DeMarco Murray signed a free-agent deal with Philadelphia.

  The Cowboys didn’t necessarily bring McFadden on board to be a starter. That would’ve been foolish, considering he had played only sixteen games in a season just once in his seven previous years in Oakland. Then again, the Cowboys didn’t trust Randle either after his off-the-field issues of the past year, which included a shoplifting charge and then a domestic violence dispute earlier in the summer back in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas.

  As of now, Randle was st
ill the favorite to win the starting job, but at least McFadden’s performance gave the Cowboys some hope that he could handle the load if Randle were to falter once more. There were coaches, scouts, and even some players who just figured Randle’s lack of accountability would surface again sooner or later.

  But in the end, the question mark at the running back position wasn’t enough to dampen what had been a highly successful camp. In a preseason with messages coming out from every side, it seemed all the signals were getting clearer by the day.

  Chapter 2

  CLOUDS ROLLING IN

  Friday

  The weekly schedule of the Plano Senior High school football team is nothing if not predictable. For the players, the weekends are spent recovering, trying to turn their attention to schoolwork, hanging with their friends, and just generally trying to pretend they are like anyone else in Plano.

  While the players do come in on Saturdays to review the game film from the night before, their day is nothing like that of the coaches, who put in another ten- to twelve-hour day, with one eye on the previous game and the other getting ready for next week. Long gone are the days of having to meet up with opposing coaches to exchange game tapes. Now, the digital game films can be traded on the Internet, taking anywhere from two to three minutes for one coach to get his hands on all of the games for his upcoming opponent.

  While one might assume that would make for shorter days for these coaches than in the past, the easily-accessible game tapes instead allow coaches to watch even more games than before, keeping them at the field house as long as ever. At Plano, the Sunday schedule always starts around 1 p.m., letting the coaches get to church with their families in the morning; but the afternoon consists of another six to seven hours, mostly getting the game plan ready to install for the team.

  During the school week, practices are designed to experiment with new plays while also working on the weaknesses from the previous game. Monday through Wednesday are full practice days, with Thursday as a shorter practice. Each day focuses on different things, but they all have one thing in common: Friday. For everyone, the week builds and breathes around Friday. Unless, of course, the week’s game is on a Thursday.