Dez Bryant was so disappointed about his Week 4 woes, he’s working out at the team’s Valley Ranch headquarters during the Dallas Cowboys’ bye week.
Drew Pearson’s comments likely won’t make him feel any better.
Pearson, one of Dallas’ best-ever receivers and a member of the club’s highly prestigious Ring of Honor, criticized Bryant’s effort in a third person-filled analysis to the Midland Reporter-Register.
And Pearson’s disdain appeared to be centered around Dez’s jersey—No. 88, the same number Pearson and Michael Irvin wore during their respective careers.
“He’s not living up to the expectations that were placed on him by wearing that number,” Pearson told the newspaper. “Drew Pearson took it to the Ring of Honor level and Michael Irvin took it way beyond that to the Hall of Fame level. When Michael and I had a chance to talk to Dez when he came in his rookie year we told him, ‘Don’t do what Drew Pearson did in it. Don’t do what Michael did in it. Do more than that.’ I know that’s a lot to live up to, but what else is there?”
Bryant, in his third season, actually had one of his best statistical outings in Monday’s 34-18 loss to Chicago. He had eight catches for 105 yards, just his second career 100-yard receiving game.
The downside: Bryant dropped two passes and ran the wrong route on a play that resulted in a Bears pick-six. It was one of Tony Romo’s five interceptions in the game.
Other than choosing to wear 88, something of a sacred franchise number, expectations have been abnormally high for Bryant since his rookie season due mainly to his immense talent.
He was thought to be a surefire top-five pick before being suspended for the second half of his junior season at Oklahoma State for violating an NCAA rule—Bryant had improper contact with Deion Sanders, who coincidentally also starred for the Cowboys.
That caused Bryant’s draft stock to slide before Dallas snatched him up with the No. 24 overall selection in 2010.
source: aol.sportingnews.com
