Several times this month, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made sure to publicly announce that wide receiver Dez Bryant knew that there would be serious consequences to continued bad behavior away from the football field.
In order to help Bryant steer clear of such behavior, the Cowboys have recently put into place a set of guidelines for Bryant regarding his conduct away from the field. Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com reports that Bryant has agreed to avoid alcohol and strip clubs while abiding by a midnight curfew and attending two counseling sessions each week. There will also be a rotating three-man security team that will leave one man with Bryant at all times in addition to driving him to games and practices.
The rules went into place on August 23rd when the Cowboys returned from training camp in California and will remain in place indefinitely. Jones said that these aren’t the strictest protocols put in place for a player since he’s owned the team, although not every instance has worked out to the team’s satisfcation. Adam Jones’ Cowboys tenured was marred by a fight with one of his team-issued bodyguards that led to a suspension. One of Bryant’s advisers will select the security team this year.
Jones also said that Bryant, who didn’t play against the Rams on Sunday, has been a willing partner in the process.
“Oh yeah, very much willing to do anything he can to help himself and help the team,” Jones said. “He’s very open-minded and cooperative. He’s doing the right things by his teammates and everybody is counting on him.”
Bryant’s willingness to agree to these rules, as well as his decision to engage former Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek as a mentor, bodes well for Bryant’s ability to mature into the person and player the team would like him to be now and in the future.