Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is often criticized for being a “me” guy. Last month, he walked off the field with 1:21 still left in the game after his team blew a lead against the Green Bay Packers. His animated behavior on the field and on the sideline has often been misconstrued as a hissy fit, but audio has shown that Bryant is very positive with his teammates most of the time.
Some of you will find this hard to believe, but Bryant recently received the team’s “Good Guy” award from the Cowboys’ local beat writers. The honor is given out to a player who consistently cooperates and engages with the local beat reporters.
As Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News pointed out, Bryant made himself available to the media all season long — even after he was criticized for flipping out on the sideline and being a seemingly selfish player. Though he made plenty of mistakes, Dez didn’t hide or give reporters an attitude when they asked him tough questions.
I will say one thing about Bryant in 2013 — he managed to stay out of trouble off the field. This is a player that was arrested on a family violence charge earlier in his career and got himself into trouble for sagging his pants too low at a mall. He’s still a work in progress, but Bryant has shown some signs that he is starting to grow up. Receiving the “Good Guy” award reflects that.
H/T SI Hot Clicks
