Sunday’s NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals will have additional importance for Pacman Jones. The Cincinnati defensive back will be facing his former team and says he will have extra motivation.
“Sunday I’ll have a double chip on my shoulder,” Jones said Wednesday, via Bengals.com. “I’ll let the game come to me and play hard.”
Jones also said it’s a game “deep down in your heart you want this one.”
The Cowboys gave Jones an opportunity to play after he was suspended for the 2007 NFL season because of his role in a Las Vegas strip club shooting. He continued to act immaturely in Dallas and he got into an altercation with his bouncer that led to a four-game suspension. He did not play well with the team and was released in January 2009.
Though the Cowboys gave Jones a second chance, he still has some bitterness towards them.
“I love Jerry with all my heart,” Jones said before Wednesday’s practice, per Bengals.com. “I’m not going to get into what I don’t like about him, but Jerry has done a lot for me. I don’t care about that (now). I’m a Bengal and I’d like to stay a Bengal for the rest of my career.
“In Dallas, a lot of stuff is ‘fairy tale,'” he said. “It’s not real life. They don’t tell you how it really is. That’s the only difference.”
The Cowboys went 9-7 that season. Jones took a jab at the coaching in Dallas.
“I was horrible in Dallas. The coaching was horrible, too.”
Wade Phillips was the head coach of the team. He is considered to be one of the top defensive coaches in the league. Brian Stewart was the defensive coordinator, and he is now back in college at Maryland. Dave Campo was the team’s secondary coach. Jones didn’t elaborate on what was horrible about the coaches. Maybe he was talking about the way they handled the problematic situation involving Terrell Owens and Tony Romo. Who knows? He should be grateful they took a chance on him and brought him back into the NFL when few teams were willing to touch him.
H/T Ian Rapoport
