Friday, Saturday, Sunday in Texas

by Nick Eatman

  Should the Cowboys try to draft some help for Romo? Or try to find his replacement?

  Perhaps, they could find a way to do both. But after a 4–12 effort, Dallas had more problem areas than just quarterback, including one spot that was getting worse.

  When the season ended, defensive end seemed like a position that might have a couple of young cornerstones for the future. By the end of April, both of those players had been suspended by the NFL. Randy Gregory’s four-game setback wasn’t a huge surprise, considering he failed his first drug test at the Scouting Combine back in 2015, which caused him to drop from being a potential top-ten pick to where the Cowboys took him in the second round with the sixtieth overall selection. Despite the team’s issuing a personal handler to live with him during his rookie season and help him get to places and events on time, Gregory still failed three more drug tests and was eventually suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season.

  Along with him was DeMarcus Lawrence, who led the Cowboys in sacks with eight-and-a-half in 2015, including seven in the last eight games. But Lawrence was also hit with a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

  In need of defensive end help, the Cowboys could’ve turned to unrestricted free agent Greg Hardy, who had not been re-signed by Dallas or any team. His one season with the Cowboys provided more off-the-field headaches than his six sacks were worth. However, every time either Jerry Jones or Stephen Jones fielded any question by the media regarding Hardy, they chose not to address the situation. They never sounded too open to bring Hardy back, but for some reason the book was never closed. One theory, and something the Jones family has done in the past with other free agents, is that publicly dismissing the notion of re-signing Hardy would potentially have a negative impact on his signing with another team. Maybe they knew emphatically they didn’t want Hardy’s services again, but they didn’t want to create a potential blackball situation for the defensive end around the league.

  So for whatever the reason, defensive end was quietly becoming a top priority as well, which linked the Cowboys to Ohio State’s Joey Bosa, a pass-rushing specialist who figured to be on the board when Dallas went on the clock.

  Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey, a playmaking defensive back, was also a name that was frequently linked to the Cowboys. The problem with Ramsey was that many thought he was more of a safety than a cornerback, and taking that position so high in the draft was simply too rich.

  During one of the pre-draft meetings to talk specifically about Ramsey, coaches and scouts in the War Room got another playmaking defensive back from Florida State on the phone to get his opinion about Ramsey.

  Surely, FSU legend Deion Sanders would give a glowing report of a player billed to be the greatest to come out of Tallahassee since “Prime Time” himself. However, Sanders is a straight shooter, which makes him one of the more popular football analysts on NFL Network these days. And he told the Cowboys he thought Ramsey was a better fit to play safety, citing that his hip movement needed work, and he expressed his concerns about whether the young Seminole could be a shutdown cornerback.

  Meanwhile, the quarterback situation was taking care of itself. Jared Goff and Wentz elevated themselves to the top two picks. Before the draft even began, it was clear that the best two passers wouldn’t even be around for the Cowboys at number four after the Rams traded up to number one and the Eagles made a trade to get the second pick.

  So with quarterback no longer a viable option, the defensive back they really liked coming with concerns about his ability to play cornerback, and not everyone in the War Room convinced that Bosa was a real difference maker, there was one name that just kept resurfacing each and every day as the draft got closer.

  Ezekiel Elliott.

  But could the Cowboys really pull the trigger on a running back, a position that the team proved over the last two years could function without the investment of a high draft pick? DeMarco Murray broke Emmitt Smith’s franchise single-season rushing record in 2014 with a 1,845-yard effort. And even after the Cowboys chose not to shell out big bucks in free agency, prompting Murray to sign a whopping five-year, $42 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys still got a 1,089-yard campaign out of eight-year veteran Darren McFadden. Of course, that was after the team’s failed experiment with Joseph Randle, who couldn’t stay out of trouble and was eventually cut halfway through the year.

  The Cowboys found out early in 2015 that passing on the opportunity to bring Murray back was the right call. Whether he was just a one-year wonder in Dallas or a wrong fit in Philly, he struggled in his first, and only, year with the Eagles, who traded him to the Titans in March after he rushed for just 702 yards and six touchdowns.

  The writing was on the wall that taking a running back later in the draft was the smart move. Yet, the Cowboys couldn’t get over Elliott, the everyday bruiser with speed who first caught Garrett’s eye in the 2014 National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium when the Buckeye rushed for 246 yards and three touchdowns to help Ohio State beat Oregon.

  By the time draft day hit, it looked like a two-man race between Ramsey and Elliott, who were both actually available when the Cowboys picked. The War Room was rather split on the two players, but after a few more minutes of debate, there was one ringing statement, brought up by an unbiased scout in the room, that seemingly sealed the deal.

  “We’re pretty sure Ramsey can help us at some point. We know Elliott makes us better tomorrow.”

  Moments later, Jones was handed the phone with Elliott on the other end of the line.

  “Hello, Dallas Cowboy, this is Jerry Jones!” the owner and general manager said to Elliott, who was sitting in the Green Room at the NFL Draft in Chicago.

  “How you doing, Jerry?” Elliott said, as he was getting hugged by his parents and family.

  Both parties had trouble hearing the other because of the cheering and commotion occurring around them. While the Cowboys War Room always gets excited after each pick, the selection of “Zeke” was the type of splash that would instantly pump excitement back into a franchise that had hit roadblock after roadblock the previous season.

  The Cowboys then nearly pulled off yet another monstrous move later that evening as they desperately tried to trade back into the first round in order to take Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Ultimately, the Seattle Seahawks took Denver’s trade instead of the Cowboys’ offer and Lynch went to the Broncos. Even two days later, Jones admitted he “lost sleep” over not overpaying for what could’ve been the team’s much-needed quarterback of the future.

  The Cowboys eventually landed a passer in the fourth round in Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, and made some other eye-opening picks by taking Jaylon Smith in the second round, the injured linebacker not likely suiting up at all in 2016, and the aforementioned Baylor basketball player, Rico Gathers, who hadn’t played organized football since he was thirteen.

  Clearly, the Cowboys were making splashy headlines with their draft picks, starting from the first round all the way to the sixth. But Jones managed to create more buzz in a different way following Thursday’s first round. When chatting with reporters about several topics, Jones was stopped by a veteran writer just before walking back into the War Room.

  The question was blunt and rather simple.

  “Is bringing back Greg Hardy completely off the table?”

  Without much hesitation this time, Jones nodded and said, “Yes,” and emphatically walked back into the scouting department area.

  Just like that, the Hardy era was over in just one season.

  Even that kind of news didn’t exactly deflect the attention away from drafting Elliott, who was already drawing comparisons to some of the greatest running backs in club history, including the Hall of Famer Smith. And Zeke was embracing it.

  Riding in Jones’ private jet from Chicago to Da
llas the day after the draft, Elliott brought up to some team employees if he should ask to wear Smith’s 22 jersey, which has been unofficially retired since the day he left the team.

  Elliott smartly didn’t press the matter, picking 21 instead. Ironically enough, that was the jersey number Randle had worn with the hope that he would be able to carry the team back to the playoffs again.

  Needless to say, the Cowboys weren’t messing around now. They knew Romo’s window was closing and what better way to help a quarterback than to give him a dynamic running back who could take the pressure off.

  Then again, that’s more like an oxymoron in Dallas. The pressure is never off for the starting quarterback, or the entire franchise for that matter.

  When the Cowboys finish a season 12–4, the expectation the following year is to make the Super Bowl. And when they finish 4–12 and play four different quarterbacks, the expectation the following year is to … make the Super Bowl.

  Globally recognized around the world, and still referenced as America’s Team within the United States, the Cowboys will always rule Texas.

  Hundreds of high school teams compete against each other every year to be called state champions. Dozens of college teams battle it out to be conference and perhaps even national champions.

  But the undeniable “champion” of Texas is the Dallas Cowboys.

  As Garrett and his staff began the process of building a team for 2016, they knew the goal, regardless of how realistic it may or may not be, was to get back to the Super Bowl.

  Nothing less is expected. Nothing less is accepted.

  EPILOGUE

  In Texas the football season never really ends. Things may go a bit quiet, the headlines on the sports page may have a bit less drama, but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday happen every week—even in the off-season.

  Still, some off-seasons are more eventful than most, and following the 2016 NFL draft, the Baylor Bears began one of the most controversial and difficult off-seasons in recent memory. Only this time the drama wasn’t about recruits or practices. It wasn’t about who would be the program’s starting quarterback. It was about something much bigger that would leave the school and its football team forever changed.

  More than eight months after the university hired the law firm of Pepper Hamilton to conduct an independent investigation on how the school, and specifically the football program, handled sexual assault claims, the firm was ready to reveal its findings to Baylor’s Board of Regents. Interestingly, there was no official report of the law firm’s findings, at least not anything written or printed out. Instead, the agency sent its investigators in front of the Board of Regents to orally describe what they had learned over the last eight months. There were no documents. No pieces of evidence. No emails or phone records that had been obtained were shared. Just a lecture-style speech from the investigators, in an attempt to paint the most appropriate picture they could.

  As a result, the full details of Pepper Hamilton’s actual findings were never made public simply because they couldn’t be—no report actually existed from the firm. And while a 13-page report was later printed and sent out regarding some of the suggestions Pepper Hamilton made to improve sexual assault issues on campus, this document was created and distributed by Baylor based on Pepper Hamilton’s presentation and was not made by the law firm itself. In the university’s own document, the school shared some of the law firm’s findings:

  • Baylor’s student conduct processes were wholly inadequate to consistently provide a prompt and equitable response under Title IX. Baylor failed to take action to identify and eliminate a potential hostile environment.

  • University administrators directly discouraged some complainants from reporting or participating in student conduct processes and in one instance constituted retaliation against a complainant for reporting sexual assault.

  • In addition to broader University failings, Pepper found specific failings within both the football program and Athletics Department leadership, including a failure to identify and respond to a pattern of sexual violence by a football player and to a report of dating violence.

  • There are significant concerns about the tone and culture within Baylor’s football program as it relates to accountability for all forms of student-athlete misconduct.

  • Over the course of their review, Pepper investigated the University’s response to reports of a sexual assault involving multiple football players. The football program and Athletics Department leadership failed to take appropriate action in response to these reports.

  While no specific names were mentioned in the report, it’s unknown whether or not the oral review mentioned some of the administrators by name. But one thing was clear, the football program was consistently mentioned throughout the report.

  In the aftermath of the presentation, on the morning of May 26, 2016, the Board of Regents at Baylor had apparently seen enough and certainly heard enough from the now relentless national media that continued to air its displeasure over the reports of alleged sexual assaults and the suspected mishandling from the administrators at Baylor. Sure, some of the columnists with the louder voices suggested that Baylor get rid of all of the higher-ups, starting with the president and athletic director. But this is Texas, where football presides over everything. Getting rid of the president, even one with the name appeal of Ken Starr, wouldn’t move the needle and satisfy those looking for retribution. No, to see any kind of change would mean Baylor had to remove the one person solely responsible for all of the football program—including its success.

  And that’s what Baylor ultimately decided, dismissing head coach Art Briles, a move that sent shockwaves throughout the country. It had been just a few days earlier that a report out of Austin suggested that the school was leaning toward firing only Starr and keeping Briles. That’s when the media barked even louder, accusing Baylor of turning its back on societal issues and even academics and focusing only on football. Whether it was because of this criticism or not, Baylor decided to let go of Briles, who was informed by phone early on the morning of May 26 that he was being “suspended with intent to terminate.” Regardless of the linguistic semantics, Briles was fired. He was immediately moved out of his office, his name was taken off the door, his access codes to the football complex were deactivated, and more importantly, a search committee was formed at Baylor to land a new coach.

  While Baylor’s initial statement only included Briles’ dismissal, the university eventually fired both Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw.

  One of the more recognizable school presidents in the country, a highly successful athletic director, and of course, a head coach that had been a proven winner at many stops, all took a backseat, as Baylor shifted its focus to the victims and, perhaps, future victims at either Baylor or other schools that needed a voice.

  Within three days, Baylor had announced that it had hired veteran coach Jim Grobe, who had last been at Wake Forest, which like Baylor was a private school that struggled for years to stay competitive. Grobe did guide the Demon Deacons to some success in the late 2000s, but retired in 2013 with a career record of 110–115–1. Ironically enough, Grobe replaced Briles, whose first game as head coach of the Bears back in 2008 was actually against Grobe and his Wake Forest squad.

  While Briles was removed, the rest of the assistants stayed on the staff, including his son Kendal Briles and son-in-law Jeff Lebby.

  Even with Briles suspended, it was clear Baylor had moved on and it was only a matter of time before the official firing took place. One of the criticisms Briles received in the days after Baylor’s announcement was over his decision not to reveal his side of the story, causing many to believe he indeed had something to hide. However, with him technically remaining under contract, both Baylor and Briles’ lawyers advised him not to make any public comments as the two sides were still trying to negotiate a settl
ement.

  Briles did issue a statement on June 2, exactly a week after his dismissal as head coach, directing the attention back toward the university.

  Baylor Nation,

  My heart goes out to the victims for the pain that they have endured. Sexual assault has no place on our campus or in our society. As a father of two daughters, a grandfather, and a husband, my prayers are with the victims of this type of abuse, wherever they are. After 38 years of coaching, I have certainly made mistakes and, in hindsight, I would have done certain things differently. I always strive to be a better coach, a better father and husband, and a better person.

  Keep in mind, the complete scope of what happened here has not been disclosed and unfortunately at this time I am contractually obligated to remain silent on the matter. The report prepared by Pepper Hamilton, the law firm hired and paid for by Baylor’s Board of Regents, has not been shared with me directly, despite my full cooperation with the investigation. I can only assume that the report, which is not independent, supports the conclusions that the Board has already drawn. I hope to share with you what I was aware of as soon as I can so Baylor Nation can begin the healing process.

  I have the utmost admiration for Baylor University, its community, and its important mission. I am truly grateful for having had the chance to coach hundreds of young student athletes at this University. I am deeply humbled for having had the opportunity to be a part of Baylor Nation.

  Coach Art Briles

  While Briles and his PR team felt the need to end his silence and release the statement, it wasn’t an easy process considering he was still not fully aware of the reasons for his firing. More than five weeks after his removal, Briles had never been informed by any member of the Board of Regents why the decision was made to fire him.

  Through secondhand sources, Briles was once told the reason stemmed from the “aggregate number” of domestic violence and sexual assault charges against his players since he became the coach in 2008. In that time, Tevin Elliott and Sam Ukwuachu had been convicted, and Shawn Oakman, although he graduated in December of 2015 and was living off campus, had been accused of an assault in April of 2016, just a few weeks before Briles was fired.