Dez Bryant | Larry Brown Sports

Dez Bryant Skipped Autograph Signing, Said Father Had Heart Attack

July 14, 2011 By Larry Brown Leave a Comment

Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has had a tough run since college. He was ruled ineligible in his junior season at Oklahoma State for lying to the NCAA about his dealings with Deion Sanders, his former mentor who is no longer advising him. Bryant has had several issues with paying back debts, he reportedly was kicked out of a mall for wearing baggy pants, and he was a disrespectful rookie during training camp. The latest charge against him should not surprise you.

The Dallas Observer reports that Dez Bryant skipped an autograph signing in Atlantic City which he agreed to attend. Dez reportedly was set to make around $10,000 to sign autographs for two hours at the Collectors Showcase of America last month in New Jersey. His deal was pretty sweet too. According to the report, Bryant was to receive round-trip flights for himself and two others, three hotel rooms in Edison, an 80-mile limo ride to Atlantic City and two hotel rooms there, including a luxury suite.

When Bryant arrived at the airport for his departing flight, he called the liaison and began complaining about the deal. Then he said he couldn’t make it because he had to go to Houston to visit his father who just had a heart attack.

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Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant Thinks Deion Sanders Is Getting Kickbacks from Under Armour

March 25, 2011 By Larry Brown 1 Comment

Deion Sanders prides himself on working with young athletes and serving as a role model and father figure for them. One of his prized youngsters was Dez Bryant, who actually was suspended by the NCAA for the season for lying about his contact with Deion. Deion defended himself after Bryant was suspended saying he doesn’t prostitute kids.

The relationship between the two continued after college when Bryant was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and given the sacred #88 jersey. But things changed to the point that Deion gave up on Bryant and stopped talking with him and advising him. Bryant says it was all related to him backing out of an endorsement deal with Under Armour.

“I never knew the reason for Deion not saying anything to me,” Bryant told ESPN Dallas. “The only thing I can believe is that when I stopped talking to Under Armour, Deion stopped talking to me. I never knew what Prime’s problem was.

“That’s my decision. That has nothing to do with Prime. That made me feel he must be getting something from Under Armour.”

Bryant’s response came after Deion ripped him on the radio for his whole sagging pants at the mall fiasco. Deion said that Dez needs help, and that’s when Dez said Sanders had an agenda due to Under Armour. Between the two of them, it’s hard to know what to believe. Deion is right in that Dez needs some help to avoid trouble, and Dez is likely right that Deion has an agenda to push despite his denials.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Deion Sanders, Dez Bryant

Did Dez Bryant Wear His Pants Too Low and Cause a Scene at the Mall?

March 23, 2011 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

Young Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant really got caught with his pants down this time — literally. Like a 14-year-old boy who dribbled a ball one too many times or knocked things off the shelf in a sporting goods store, Bryant was allegedly told to leave his local mall and not return for three months. The reason: he and some friends were wearing their pants too low and refused to pull them up.

According to WFAA.com, via The Big Lead, Bryant gave a “profanity laced” response to the off-duty police officers at NorthPark Center in Dallas who asked him and his friends to pull their pants up.

“What the (expletive) are you stopping me, like I stole something,” Bryant said amidst his spaz according to WFAA. “I’m not leaving until my attorney and my representative get here.”

Bryant was then escorted to his vehicle, but rather than leaving he decided to do the mature adult thing. According to police, he parked his car in a fire lane and refused to move. The warning, however, stands. If Bryant was to return to the mall within the next 90 days police would have every right to arrest him.

Considering this is the same rookie that refused to go along with some mild hazing in the form of carrying shoulder pads, it should surprise no one that Bryant refused to pull his pants up.

Filed Under: Everything Else Tagged With: Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant Owes Bryan McCann Dinner

November 25, 2010 By Larry Brown 2 Comments

Dez Bryant owes a teammate dinner, only this time it’s not for rookie hazing and unlikely to cost 55 grand. Bryant apparently owes fellow rookie Bryan McCann a meal because of a bet they had.

Bryant and McCann are the special teams returners for Dallas and they bet on who would score the first return touchdown. McCann accomplished the feat when he scooped up a punt and raced 97 yards past all the Detroit Lions in week 11.

The irony about the play is that Bryant was supposed to return the punt but he let it go because it was bouncing near the end zone. McCann came out of nowhere to grab the punt, catching the Lions players off guard.

I’m guessing this dinner shouldn’t cost more than a few hundred bucks. And after beating Detroit, I’m sure Dez would be happy to pay.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant Treats Cowboys Teammates to $54,896 Dinner

September 28, 2010 By Steve DelVecchio 3 Comments

Good news for the Dallas Cowboys regarding rookie Dez Bryant: the wide receiver seems to have made nice with his teammates after refusing to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads during training camp this summer. At the time we saw nothing wrong with Bryant’s refusal, considering Williams has been somewhat of a bum since coming to Dallas from Detroit. In retrospect, maybe the rookie should have just carried the pads like all the other newbies.

If he had, he might be $54,896 richer today. That’s right, according to ESPN Dallas Dez Bryant treated his teammates to a $54,896 dinner at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. The original plan was to treat only the offense to dinner, but apparently Williams took the liberty of inviting the defense. Needless to say, the gang was all there and brought their appetites.

Players supposedly ordered everything on the menu and took a few bottles of wine to go. The fact that someone can dish out that amount of money for a dinner and continue living their life is amazing to me. You would think Bryant’s teammates would cut him a bit of a break and keep the total to — oh I don’t know — under $10,000? Would that be unreasonable?

Note to all NFL rookies of the future: just carry the shoulder pads like Travis Ivey did and accept the bad haircuts. It could be a lot worse.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant Already Irritated with Media Attention From Pads Story

July 27, 2010 By Jake Walker Leave a Comment

On Sunday we told you about the mini-controversy at Dallas Cowboys training camp where Dez Bryant refused to carry veteran Roy Williams’ shoulder pads as part of the rookie initiation process. With the Cowboys being who they are and their owner loving to be the center of attention, everything that happens with the team is blown out of proportion. Such was the case for the Bryant shoulder pad story, and Dez is not happy about it.

With fans chanting “Leave Dez Alone,” in the background, Bryant responded to questions to the media while signing autographs. To say he was agitated is an understatement — he was visibly upset:

“I’ve been doing the right thing. I’m going to continue to do the right thing. Everybody on the team likes me and I like everybody on the team. Y’all are trying to put me and Roy against each other that’s not going to happen.”

Bryant has just learned his first lesson about being a member of “America’s Team.” Everything that happens with the Cowboys becomes something bigger than it is. If Bryant didn’t already know to, he’s quickly learning to watch his step and maybe he now understands Tony Romo’s difficult position where every action is questioned. Whatever target the media lost when the Cowboys cut T.O. they now are trying to fill with Dez. Clearly he wants no part of it, but avoiding it is nearly impossible to do.

Sources:
Dez Bryant: Shouldn’t Have to Say Anything [Dallas Cowboys]

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant

Roy Williams Should Carry Dez Bryant’s Shoulder Pads

July 26, 2010 By Larry Brown 5 Comments

On Thursday we were praising Dez Bryant for becoming the first first-round pick to sign a deal and get into camp. On Saturday we were talking about how Dez Bryant made it a point to be the first one at Dallas Cowboys practice, showing up two hours early. On Sunday, the discussion had evolved back into how Dez Bryant has character issues because he refused to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads off the practice field.

Bryant’s point makes a lot of sense for why he does not want to carry Roy’s pads: “I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player’s pads,” Bryant said. ”If I was a free agent, it would still be the same thing.”

I agree with Dez — he’s there to play football, not be bullied, bossed around, or hazed, even if it is a rookie tradition. Thing is, Roy Williams is genuinely upset over the whole deal:

“Everybody has to go through it. 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.”

Look Roy, I’m sure when it comes time to sing in front of the veterans and buy the old guys lunch and dinner that Dez will be there to participate. You need to understand that this is not as simple as a rookie not following tradition (as dumb as hazing is). This is not as simple as Dez being a headstrong, defiant person. This runs much deeper than all of that — this is about a rookie preparing to take your job. Maybe Dez should humor you by carrying your shoulder pads off the practice field next time — it’s the only dignity you’ll have left after he unseats you in the starting lineup.

Sources:
Dez refuses to carry Williams’ pads [Tim MacMahon/ESPN Dallas]

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Dez Bryant, NFL rookie hazing, Roy Williams receiver