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Updated: August 24, 2010, 9:49 PM
Every Sunday?
Church Making Late Roster Push
Edward Lewis
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
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OXNARD, Calif. - When the Cowboys went to San Diego last week for Saturday night's game, the Cowboys coaching staff told Barry Church to focus on special teams. They said to him, don't expect to get in until the second half because the starters are going to get most of the load in the first.
So Church sat with safety Danny McCray on the sidelines in the first quarter of Saturday night's game against the Chargers and waited for his turn. Then, out of nowhere, McCray started freaking out.
"I'm sitting there talking to Danny McCray and then he starts saying, 'Church, Church, Church!'" Church said. "And I was like, 'What do you want, man? What do you want?' And he said 'Sensabaugh's down!'
Church looked over, saw starting safety Gerald Sensabaugh holding his shoulder, and ran up to secondary coach Dave Campo.
"What should I do here?" Church said he asked Campo. "He looked at me kind of surprised like he didn't know what to do, and he was just like, 'Get in there! Get in there!'"
Church ran on the field with the first unit about midway through the first quarter, and he was nervous. He was staring down Phillip Rivers and was asked to cover Antonio Gates. But he got his first hit and the "rest was history," Church said.
He recorded five tackles against San Diego and made the most exciting play of the game, scooping up running back Darren Sproles' fumble. He rumbled 80 yards down the field, and finally got stopped by Rivers 8 yards short of the goal line.
For Church, the whole game was a surreal experience, even if he did get caught by a $93 million quarterback with a knee brace.
"I believe I did pretty good," Church said. "The coaches also said I did pretty good; so I guess I just got to keep proving (the doubters) wrong."
Church was undrafted out of Toledo. The scouts and pundits said he was too slow and claimed he didn't have the coverage abilities to make it in the NFL. But Cowboys assistant secondary coach Brett Maxie saw something different. He was watching film of Church at Toledo, saw him play in space and in the box, and knew he had talent.
When Church went undrafted, Maxie sought out Bruce Tollner, Church's agent and Maxie's personal friend, and told him Church had a fair chance to make the team.
"I felt like his opportunity was just as good as everybody else (with the Cowboys)," Maxie said. "So he trusted in me that when he got in here to at least get him a fair chance."
The day Church signed with the Cowboys, he called Maxie and left him a voicemail, saying thank you for the opportunity. That's when Maxie knew Church had character to go along with skill.
Maxie said it took a while for Church to adapt, but after the first preseason game, Church locked in. When safety Michael Hamlin was out with a concussion, Church worked as the strong safety behind Sensabaugh in camp, and he made plays. Last week, he picked off two passes in one practice. That gave Campo the confidence to plug Church into the game on Saturday night.
"I think the guy has the instincts and he gets around the ball and he's been able to cover guys pretty good," Campo said. "He was around the ball (on Saturday), made the big play on the fumble recovery, made a couple plays on the goal line where he knived in there and tackled the guy and actually pulled him out of going in the end zone; so he did good things. I'm pleased with it. And we'll see how it progresses the rest of the way."
Hamlin's back from the concussion now and is working with the starting unit instead of Church. So the rookie safety has suddenly found himself back on the bubble. But he's OK with it. Proving people wrong has worked out for him so far. v"Ever since I started playing football, I've always been around the ball and trying to make plays," Church said. "I see myself as a playmaker and hopefully the coaches will too."
Every Sunday?
Church Making Late Roster Push
Edward Lewis
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
OXNARD, Calif. - When the Cowboys went to San Diego last week for Saturday night's game, the Cowboys coaching staff told Barry Church to focus on special teams. They said to him, don't expect to get in until the second half because the starters are going to get most of the load in the first.
So Church sat with safety Danny McCray on the sidelines in the first quarter of Saturday night's game against the Chargers and waited for his turn. Then, out of nowhere, McCray started freaking out.
"I'm sitting there talking to Danny McCray and then he starts saying, 'Church, Church, Church!'" Church said. "And I was like, 'What do you want, man? What do you want?' And he said 'Sensabaugh's down!'
Church looked over, saw starting safety Gerald Sensabaugh holding his shoulder, and ran up to secondary coach Dave Campo.
"What should I do here?" Church said he asked Campo. "He looked at me kind of surprised like he didn't know what to do, and he was just like, 'Get in there! Get in there!'"
Church ran on the field with the first unit about midway through the first quarter, and he was nervous. He was staring down Phillip Rivers and was asked to cover Antonio Gates. But he got his first hit and the "rest was history," Church said.
He recorded five tackles against San Diego and made the most exciting play of the game, scooping up running back Darren Sproles' fumble. He rumbled 80 yards down the field, and finally got stopped by Rivers 8 yards short of the goal line.
For Church, the whole game was a surreal experience, even if he did get caught by a $93 million quarterback with a knee brace.
"I believe I did pretty good," Church said. "The coaches also said I did pretty good; so I guess I just got to keep proving (the doubters) wrong."
Church was undrafted out of Toledo. The scouts and pundits said he was too slow and claimed he didn't have the coverage abilities to make it in the NFL. But Cowboys assistant secondary coach Brett Maxie saw something different. He was watching film of Church at Toledo, saw him play in space and in the box, and knew he had talent.
When Church went undrafted, Maxie sought out Bruce Tollner, Church's agent and Maxie's personal friend, and told him Church had a fair chance to make the team.
"I felt like his opportunity was just as good as everybody else (with the Cowboys)," Maxie said. "So he trusted in me that when he got in here to at least get him a fair chance."
The day Church signed with the Cowboys, he called Maxie and left him a voicemail, saying thank you for the opportunity. That's when Maxie knew Church had character to go along with skill.
Maxie said it took a while for Church to adapt, but after the first preseason game, Church locked in. When safety Michael Hamlin was out with a concussion, Church worked as the strong safety behind Sensabaugh in camp, and he made plays. Last week, he picked off two passes in one practice. That gave Campo the confidence to plug Church into the game on Saturday night.
"I think the guy has the instincts and he gets around the ball and he's been able to cover guys pretty good," Campo said. "He was around the ball (on Saturday), made the big play on the fumble recovery, made a couple plays on the goal line where he knived in there and tackled the guy and actually pulled him out of going in the end zone; so he did good things. I'm pleased with it. And we'll see how it progresses the rest of the way."
Hamlin's back from the concussion now and is working with the starting unit instead of Church. So the rookie safety has suddenly found himself back on the bubble. But he's OK with it. Proving people wrong has worked out for him so far. v"Ever since I started playing football, I've always been around the ball and trying to make plays," Church said. "I see myself as a playmaker and hopefully the coaches will too."