IRVING — Center Travis Frederick promised last week after the Dallas Cowboys drafted him that he would lose the long beard he's grown for nearly a year. Yet he arrived at Valley Ranch for his introductory news conference Saturday still unshaven.
Not that it was a problem with his new boss.
“I love his attitude, coming in looking like Santa Claus,” Jerry Jones said jokingly.
Here's another thing Jones should love about Frederick: He's determined to justify the owner's faith in him.
Many draft analysts projected Frederick to go in the second round or possibly even the third, but that didn't stop the Cowboys from trading down 13 picks to select him 31st overall.
In swapping first-round picks with San Francisco, Dallas also acquired an additional third-round pick, which it used to select Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams.
But according to traditional draft trade-value charts, the Cowboys should have received more from the 49ers. The selection of Frederick filled a need for Dallas, but critics said it would have been better off staying at No. 18 and taking a more heralded prospect at a position of need such as Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd or LSU safety Eric Reid.
Asked if he was aware of the criticism Jones has received for selecting him, Frederick deadpanned, “Obviously, I think they made the right choice.”
So is there more pressure on him because of the controversy?
“No, not for me,” Frederick said. “I just take my game as my game and don't worry about what other people think or what other people are saying.”
Frederick, who can also play guard, even embraces Jones touting him as the “foundation” of the line. While some rookies might view such a comment as a heavy burden, Frederick called it a “great vote of confidence.”
“I believe I'm a very good player and that I can do that,” said Frederick, 22. “It boosts my confidence.”
One advantage for Frederick is he'll be tutored by respected offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Jones told a Dallas radio station that Callahan has compared Frederick to New York Jets center Nick Mangold, a four-time Pro Bowler who Callahan coached in New York from 2008-11.
“I got a chance to meet with Coach Callahan quite extensively in the pre-draft process and actually learn some stuff from him,” Frederick said. “He's a tremendous coach. He's going to make me into a very, very good player, and he did talk about Mangold and how he coached him and some of the things he did with him that made him into a really good player.”
Another advantage for Frederick: It shouldn't take him long to gain chemistry with quarterback Tony Romo.
“I'm excited to get a chance to play with Tony,” Frederick said. “His hometown is about 20 minutes away from my hometown (in Wisconsin), so it's kind of a cool story there. But, really, he's a great guy and a great quarterback. I am excited to get a chance to learn from him and learn about reading defenses.”
The playbook should be a quick read for Frederick, who graduated from Wisconsin with a chemical engineering degree. He boasts a high football IQ and excels at making line calls.
“He plays with a lot of confidence,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “He does a very good job identifying fronts, making adjustments and communicating them to the other linemen, and he does it in a way that tells you he knows he knows it.”
Another thing Frederick knows is that the beard must go, even if Jones likes it.
“It's out of control,” he said. “It's definitely time to start fresh.”
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...o-prove-Jones-right-4473448.php#ixzz2RxS0wNBl
Not that it was a problem with his new boss.
“I love his attitude, coming in looking like Santa Claus,” Jerry Jones said jokingly.
Here's another thing Jones should love about Frederick: He's determined to justify the owner's faith in him.
Many draft analysts projected Frederick to go in the second round or possibly even the third, but that didn't stop the Cowboys from trading down 13 picks to select him 31st overall.
In swapping first-round picks with San Francisco, Dallas also acquired an additional third-round pick, which it used to select Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams.
But according to traditional draft trade-value charts, the Cowboys should have received more from the 49ers. The selection of Frederick filled a need for Dallas, but critics said it would have been better off staying at No. 18 and taking a more heralded prospect at a position of need such as Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd or LSU safety Eric Reid.
Asked if he was aware of the criticism Jones has received for selecting him, Frederick deadpanned, “Obviously, I think they made the right choice.”
So is there more pressure on him because of the controversy?
“No, not for me,” Frederick said. “I just take my game as my game and don't worry about what other people think or what other people are saying.”
Frederick, who can also play guard, even embraces Jones touting him as the “foundation” of the line. While some rookies might view such a comment as a heavy burden, Frederick called it a “great vote of confidence.”
“I believe I'm a very good player and that I can do that,” said Frederick, 22. “It boosts my confidence.”
One advantage for Frederick is he'll be tutored by respected offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Jones told a Dallas radio station that Callahan has compared Frederick to New York Jets center Nick Mangold, a four-time Pro Bowler who Callahan coached in New York from 2008-11.
“I got a chance to meet with Coach Callahan quite extensively in the pre-draft process and actually learn some stuff from him,” Frederick said. “He's a tremendous coach. He's going to make me into a very, very good player, and he did talk about Mangold and how he coached him and some of the things he did with him that made him into a really good player.”
Another advantage for Frederick: It shouldn't take him long to gain chemistry with quarterback Tony Romo.
“I'm excited to get a chance to play with Tony,” Frederick said. “His hometown is about 20 minutes away from my hometown (in Wisconsin), so it's kind of a cool story there. But, really, he's a great guy and a great quarterback. I am excited to get a chance to learn from him and learn about reading defenses.”
The playbook should be a quick read for Frederick, who graduated from Wisconsin with a chemical engineering degree. He boasts a high football IQ and excels at making line calls.
“He plays with a lot of confidence,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “He does a very good job identifying fronts, making adjustments and communicating them to the other linemen, and he does it in a way that tells you he knows he knows it.”
Another thing Frederick knows is that the beard must go, even if Jones likes it.
“It's out of control,” he said. “It's definitely time to start fresh.”
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...o-prove-Jones-right-4473448.php#ixzz2RxS0wNBl
