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Williams - Cowboys defense not a bit offended
Cowboys defense not a bit offended
Posted Thursday, Aug. 05, 2010
By Charean Williams cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO -- Receiver Miles Austin was on a recent Sports Illustrated cover and has appeared in Us magazine photographs with girlfriend Kim Kardashian. Quarterback Tony Romo ranks fifth in the NFL in jersey sales. Rookie receiver Dez Bryant has led SportsCenter more than once since the Dallas Cowboys drafted him.
Two of the team's offensive linemen -- Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis -- are professional entertainers with their heavy metal band.
So are the Cowboys defensive players a bit, well, defensive about being overshadowed?
"We like to stay under the radar and just do our job," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "I don't want to get to the point where we need to be on magazine covers or any of that. We just like to quietly get the job done."
The Cowboys defense ranked ninth in total defense last season. It was second in points allowed. It was seventh in sacks. It sent four players to the Pro Bowl. Two were All-Pro.
Yet, when it comes to publicity, the Cowboys' defenders don't rank as highly as their offensive teammates.
It's the same in most other places around the NFL. Offense sells tickets... and more. Among the top 25 best-selling jerseys in the NFL, only four are defensive players -- Troy Polamalu (seventh), Ndamukong Suh (eighth), Eric Berry (18th) and Patrick Willis (22nd) -- according to NFLShop.com. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is one of only four athletes - joining Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal - whose salaries and endorsements are each at least $15 million a year.
The Cowboys defenders don't find any of this offensive.
"I think we get our gratification from what we do on the field," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "That's pretty much it. We don't try to make a [issue of] it. Offense is the glamorous part of the NFL. I think every team knows that. I think every defensive player knows that. They'll be talked about more than we will, but we'll continue to play. It's all one team. It's just a different unit. There's no jealousy on our part about the coverage those [offensive] guys get."
The Cowboys believe in the importance of defense enough that for 10 consecutive drafts, from 1998-2007, they didn't pick an offensive player in the first round. In the past 13 drafts, the Cowboys have spent nine first-round picks, four second-round picks and five third-round picks on defensive players.
Five of the team's 11 starters this season arrived in Dallas as first-round draft picks of the Cowboys.
DeMarcus Ware is the Cowboys' highest-paid player this season, with a $9.5 million base salary. He has earned it, too, as their best player. Ware has been to four consecutive Pro Bowls; he's been named All-Pro the past two seasons; he was second in voting for the league Defensive Player of the Year in 2008; and he, perhaps more than any other current Cowboy, is building Hall of Fame credentials. He has had more sacks than any other NFL player the past four years.
Yet, fans aren't exactly wearing out his jersey.
"We don't care about any of that stuff," Ware said. "Defense wins championships, but you win it quietly."
The Cowboys defenders believe in their heart of hearts that the old adage of "defense wins championships" still rings true. They point out that for all the talk about the New Orleans Saints offense last season, the biggest play of Super Bowl XLIV was Tracy Porter's interception return for a touchdown against Manning.
If the Cowboys are to go to the Super Bowl this season, the defense will have a big role. The Cowboys ranked in the top 10 in total defense in all five of their championship seasons. They were No. 1 in 1992, after Charles Haley arrived.
Yet, Emmitt Smith will be the third offensive player from those 1990s Cowboys teams to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Haley and his defensive teammates have yet to get their due.
"I think that can happen when you've got such a distinguished offensive group," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "But it was hard to spell Super Bowl before Charles got here. It's not so much about Charles but about how he completed what we wanted to do with our defenses back then. The bottom line is: It would be inaccurate not to give the defense the credit it was due in those big Super Bowl years."
Nothing has changed. The Cowboys' 2010 offense is all the talk: Romo, Witten, Austin, Bryant, Jones, Barber....
"That's the nature of this league," Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "...I think people want to see scoring. We don't mind that at all. With the attention that our offense gets, we just sit back and silently sharpen our swords."
Charean Williams,
817-390-7760
Cowboys defense not a bit offended
Posted Thursday, Aug. 05, 2010
By Charean Williams cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO -- Receiver Miles Austin was on a recent Sports Illustrated cover and has appeared in Us magazine photographs with girlfriend Kim Kardashian. Quarterback Tony Romo ranks fifth in the NFL in jersey sales. Rookie receiver Dez Bryant has led SportsCenter more than once since the Dallas Cowboys drafted him.
Two of the team's offensive linemen -- Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis -- are professional entertainers with their heavy metal band.
So are the Cowboys defensive players a bit, well, defensive about being overshadowed?
"We like to stay under the radar and just do our job," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "I don't want to get to the point where we need to be on magazine covers or any of that. We just like to quietly get the job done."
The Cowboys defense ranked ninth in total defense last season. It was second in points allowed. It was seventh in sacks. It sent four players to the Pro Bowl. Two were All-Pro.
Yet, when it comes to publicity, the Cowboys' defenders don't rank as highly as their offensive teammates.
It's the same in most other places around the NFL. Offense sells tickets... and more. Among the top 25 best-selling jerseys in the NFL, only four are defensive players -- Troy Polamalu (seventh), Ndamukong Suh (eighth), Eric Berry (18th) and Patrick Willis (22nd) -- according to NFLShop.com. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is one of only four athletes - joining Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal - whose salaries and endorsements are each at least $15 million a year.
The Cowboys defenders don't find any of this offensive.
"I think we get our gratification from what we do on the field," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "That's pretty much it. We don't try to make a [issue of] it. Offense is the glamorous part of the NFL. I think every team knows that. I think every defensive player knows that. They'll be talked about more than we will, but we'll continue to play. It's all one team. It's just a different unit. There's no jealousy on our part about the coverage those [offensive] guys get."
The Cowboys believe in the importance of defense enough that for 10 consecutive drafts, from 1998-2007, they didn't pick an offensive player in the first round. In the past 13 drafts, the Cowboys have spent nine first-round picks, four second-round picks and five third-round picks on defensive players.
Five of the team's 11 starters this season arrived in Dallas as first-round draft picks of the Cowboys.
DeMarcus Ware is the Cowboys' highest-paid player this season, with a $9.5 million base salary. He has earned it, too, as their best player. Ware has been to four consecutive Pro Bowls; he's been named All-Pro the past two seasons; he was second in voting for the league Defensive Player of the Year in 2008; and he, perhaps more than any other current Cowboy, is building Hall of Fame credentials. He has had more sacks than any other NFL player the past four years.
Yet, fans aren't exactly wearing out his jersey.
"We don't care about any of that stuff," Ware said. "Defense wins championships, but you win it quietly."
The Cowboys defenders believe in their heart of hearts that the old adage of "defense wins championships" still rings true. They point out that for all the talk about the New Orleans Saints offense last season, the biggest play of Super Bowl XLIV was Tracy Porter's interception return for a touchdown against Manning.
If the Cowboys are to go to the Super Bowl this season, the defense will have a big role. The Cowboys ranked in the top 10 in total defense in all five of their championship seasons. They were No. 1 in 1992, after Charles Haley arrived.
Yet, Emmitt Smith will be the third offensive player from those 1990s Cowboys teams to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Haley and his defensive teammates have yet to get their due.
"I think that can happen when you've got such a distinguished offensive group," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "But it was hard to spell Super Bowl before Charles got here. It's not so much about Charles but about how he completed what we wanted to do with our defenses back then. The bottom line is: It would be inaccurate not to give the defense the credit it was due in those big Super Bowl years."
Nothing has changed. The Cowboys' 2010 offense is all the talk: Romo, Witten, Austin, Bryant, Jones, Barber....
"That's the nature of this league," Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "...I think people want to see scoring. We don't mind that at all. With the attention that our offense gets, we just sit back and silently sharpen our swords."
Charean Williams,
817-390-7760