1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: This is This is the SWBC Mortgage Dallas Cowboys Legends 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: shown Dagascardi's first cutdown of the pro broadcasting line from 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: the Cowboys Club at the Star in Frisco, Brought you 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: by Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: more on car insurance. Mahendra find your nearest Mahendra dealer 6 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: at Texas Mahendra Dealers dot com and by s WBC Mortgage. 7 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: Prepare to win called s WBC for all your insurance needs. 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: Now your hosts, Mickey Spagnola and Bill Jones. It's a 9 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,919 Speaker 1: Wednesday night at the Cowboys Club at the Star in Frisco, 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: and that means it is time for the Dallas Cowboys 11 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: Legends Show. I am Bill Jones along with Mickey Spagnola 12 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: and it is a real treat tonight because the Cowboys, Mickey, 13 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: are coming off a victory, a resounding victory, having over Jacksonville. 14 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: Jack scored forty points. How about that? Where'd that come from? 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: Mickey boy? I don't know. I predicted that first one 16 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: to twenty was gonna win that game. So you missed 17 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: another prediction? No, I got right right? You got that right? 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: You didn't you didn't predict the first one to forty though. Yeah, 19 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: they had twenty four by the time. Can you predict 20 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: when this rain is going to end? That I cannot, okay, 21 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: because he's not going to No, I've already called me, 22 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 1: told her to send a kayak along. There you go, 23 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: all right. The reason we are here is not the 24 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: legend Mickey Spagnola. It's another legend in the house, and 25 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: it's a real treat to welcome in the great Dennis 26 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: Thurman to the Cowboys Legend Show. Hello, Dennis, how are you? 27 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: I'm doing great? Thanks for having me. Good to have you. 28 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: I think this is the first time he's appeared on 29 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: our legend show. And I didn't realize I told him. 30 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: I didn't realize he was still living here. He's been 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: all over. Didn't realize he's no living here. I'm just 32 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: messed with me. Not dead yet, not dead yet. I've 33 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: figured with all the places you've coached that you had 34 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: moved on. No, I like Dallas, Dallas's home. Dallas will 35 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,119 Speaker 1: remain home. So I enjoyed here, and I've made a plan. 36 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: I mean, what a better player. I can't find a 37 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: better place to live. Grew up in Los Angeles actually 38 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: Sunda Monica. I love the weather, but I love living 39 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: here even more than then. What was your impression coming 40 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: from Santa Monica, Southern cow and then you come to 41 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: Dallas as that choice, I thought they had gone back 42 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: in time. When I first got here, I came to 43 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: realize that I enjoyed a lifestyle, the quality of life 44 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: here and the people are fantastic. And once you played 45 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: for the Cowboys, it's kind of hard to leave, of course, 46 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: to Destermine, a product of the University of Southern California, 47 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: defensive back, drafted by the Cowboys in nineteen seventy eight, 48 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: member of the Cowboys from nineteen seventy eight through eighty five, 49 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 1: and wrapped up his NFL career with the Saint Louis Cardinals. 50 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: And you've been coaching pretty much ever since. And right 51 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: off the top, how about this. You are the defensive 52 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: coordinator for the Memphis Express of the brand new American 53 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: Alliance of what okay, Alliance of American Alliance of American Football, right, 54 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: which is the new spring league that is starting up. 55 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: First off, tell us a little bit about that. Well, 56 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: first of all, Mike Semetary is our head coach. You know, 57 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: the great linebacker from Baylor University in Chicago Bears. He 58 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: and I took up with friendship when we were both 59 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: coaching in Baltimore with the Ravens, and when this opportunity 60 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: came along, he called and asked me if I wanted 61 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: to join him, and I said yeah. So I just 62 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: found out the name of our team is then Memphis 63 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: of the Express. I was like, oh, okay, I guess 64 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,839 Speaker 1: we'll be carrying mails around And it makes sense since 65 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: FedEx headquarters are in are in Memphis, and so that 66 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: that's the reason why. But you know, Daryl Johnston is 67 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: the GM of the San Antonio franchise in that new league. 68 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: And by the way, Mike Singletary of course makes his 69 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: whole right here, and it's the head coach of the 70 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: Trinity Christian Addison High School football team, and so he's 71 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: able to do that in the springtime. But I think 72 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: that I think we've been in need of a spring 73 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: league to develop some talent. Well, hopefully it'll that's what 74 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: it will take place. I remember when the Old World 75 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: League was around, and actually participated one year with the 76 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,119 Speaker 1: O'hiward Glory. Larry Little, the great guard for the Miami 77 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: Dolphins was the head coach then, and a lot of 78 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: great coaches came out. I mean Mike Riley, who was 79 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: also in San Antonio again, he was the head coach 80 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: of San Antonio. Then you know, you got Steve Spurrier, 81 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: you have Mike Martz. I mean, there's some quality, quality coaches, 82 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: and hopefully what we'll be able to do is is 83 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: teach guys how to play football and if and give 84 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: guys an opportunity who otherwise wouldn't get an opportunity to 85 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: further or continue their careers. So hopefully that's what this 86 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: league will be about and we'll be able to accomplish 87 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: our goal. Have you started working on this already? Oh yeah, 88 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: game planning in your defensive playbook together. Oh yeah. We 89 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: start January second in San Antonio. I believe all eight 90 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: teams will be there practicing against one another and uh, 91 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: scrimmaging and whatnot. But yeah, it's I'm excited about it. 92 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: If you don't know who your players are already, or 93 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: is there a draft or how they doing that, you 94 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: got to talk to Mike. And the good thing for 95 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: me is I'm happy I'm not a part of that. 96 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: I'm not a scout. I don't want to be a scout. 97 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: I want to coach. Hey, And just to fill you 98 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: in on that, Mickey, you know, working with Darryl Johnston, 99 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: I do a show with Darryl and uh, he's been 100 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: very busy, of course working in the front office in 101 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: San Antonio. And they do have players that have been 102 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: either allocated or they have picked up for each for 103 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: each team. But being a coach, Dennis doesn't need to 104 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: know who the players are until you start coaching them. 105 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: Right when I show up, I'm gonna meet them, and 106 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: they're gonna meet me, gonna have the old names on 107 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: the front of the helmet. Yeah, and I'm gonna have 108 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: to have one on my chest all right. Nineteen seventy eight, 109 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: eleventh round draft pick of the Cowboys. They don't want 110 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: to have them at a USC And you were a 111 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: diamond in the rough there because you had a terrific 112 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: career of course with the Cowboys. Can you believe though 113 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: it's been forty years, Yeah, you came into the league. 114 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, my body tells him that whatever every day. Yeah. Yeah, 115 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: I realized I'm no longer I mean that young kid 116 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: that was running around really cocky and feeling like he 117 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 1: could do any and everything he wanted to do. I 118 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: know now that they being human, you can't always do 119 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: everything that you think you can, you know. But but 120 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: you fit right in with that Cowboys team back there. 121 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: I mean you mentioned cocky. I look back at there 122 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: that was there were so many players on the Cowboys 123 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: roster in the seventies and the eighties. I wouldn't call 124 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: them cocky. I just call them confident. They were filled 125 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: with confidence, and I think that's one of the main 126 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: reasons that y'all had a great success. Yeah, we had 127 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: a very confident group. I mean even the guys that 128 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: I played with back there, I mean Charlie Waters, Cliff Hairs, 129 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: Randy Hughes, those guys, Aaron Kyle, Benny Barnes were the 130 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: guys that I first came in with. They were the 131 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 1: older guys. They kind of took me under their wing 132 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: and showed me and taught me how to play the game. 133 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: And then after they moved on, it became my turn. 134 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: And that's when Everson Walls, Ron Fellows, Mike Down's, Bill Bates, 135 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: Victor Scott, Ricky Eastman kid out of Florida, and we 136 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: just got together and Gene Stalins was our coach, and 137 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: he believed in us, and he coached us hard, and 138 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: but we were we were ready to be coached hard, 139 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: and we went out and we tried to do what 140 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: he asked us to do it to the best of 141 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: our ability, and we ended up having success because of it. 142 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: You know, Bill there, as he mentioned there was there 143 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: was twelve rounds in the draft back then. He was 144 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: an eleventh round pick, and he was one of only 145 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: four guys the rookies that are at least the draft 146 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: picks that year to make the team. Right, So when 147 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: you got there, what were you thinking of your chances? 148 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: Because I know that was still bringing in a lot 149 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: of free agent slim. It was slim. Yeah, I mean, 150 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: I well, I believed in myself, like I said, But 151 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: the truth of the matter is is that there were 152 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: like twenty eight rookie defense backs that went to thousand Oaks. 153 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: We went three weeks early before the Vets had to report, 154 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: and there was, like I said, twenty eight of us 155 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: for one position. There was one defensive back who didn't 156 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: return from the Cowboys Super Bowl championship team of seven 157 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven, So there was one spot that was opened, 158 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: and when the dust settled, I was the guy who 159 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: think it was in that spot. So you had a 160 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: pretty good career at Southern cal. Wh why did you 161 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: last still the level throughout? Well, I had hurt my 162 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: knee in a college off star game, and I didn't 163 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: get to participate at the Combine. I really didn't have 164 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: a pro day because I was still injured, and so 165 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: I basically got drafted off of my tape from college. 166 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: And so because of the injury and I had a 167 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: slight tear in my meniscus, I did not want to 168 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: have surgery. You know, they didn't have scope at the time, 169 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: and I did not want to get my knee cut open, 170 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: so I opted not to and just rehab. And that 171 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: that's why I believe that I lasted until the eleventh round. 172 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: But once I found out where I was going, it 173 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: didn't matter. I could have cared less. Once I found 174 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: out I was coming to Dallas, it didn't matter. I 175 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: wanted to be a cowboy, mickey, said Dennis Thurman and 176 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: had a pretty good career in college. I'll say he 177 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: had a pretty good career, two time All American. Of course, 178 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: USC won a national championship. And your teammate Ronnie Lott 179 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: was a pretty good player too, right, Yeah, Ronnie. Ronnie 180 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: and I are still good friends. There's another kid, Dennis 181 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: Smith that played with the Broncos was also He's from 182 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: South of Monica as well. He went to the same 183 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: high school who was a pretty good football player. So, 184 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: you know, I played with some with some great football players, 185 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: but that was at USC that was college. I came 186 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: here and played with some greater football players, and I 187 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,319 Speaker 1: appreciate exactly. I mean how my career went. You can 188 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: only do what you can do, and you let everybody 189 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: else critique it, and you let them tell you, Okay, 190 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: yeah you were pretty good. Nah, you stunk in this game. 191 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. 192 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: What was your impression of the team. I mean, you're 193 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: talking about a Super Bowl championship team. You just walked 194 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: too well. The thing that was frightening to me was 195 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: that the very first preseason game, we were playing to 196 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: San Francisco forty nine ers and they kicked off to us. 197 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: We got the ball, we took it down and we scored, 198 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: and then we kicked the ball off and Aaron Kyle 199 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: was on the kickoff team, and he got he got 200 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: his bell rung. Today they call him concussions, but he 201 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: got his bell rung. And so the very first defensive series, 202 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: Gene Stalins goes, you're in the game, and so I 203 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: go and our jaw onto the field and I go, 204 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: and I'm standing in the huddle and I was next 205 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: to Harvey Martin, John Dutton, Randy White, two Tall Jones, 206 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: did Lewis Hollywood Henderson, Benny Barnes, Charlie Waters, Cliff Hairs, 207 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: and me. And I was like, you're kidding, right, Okay, 208 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: this group just won a Super Bowl the last game 209 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:00,959 Speaker 1: they played and had these uniforms on, and now you're 210 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: in the huddle with these guys, are you kidding me? 211 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: I was shaking like a leaf on a tree on 212 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: a windy day. You know, you can't imagine the fear 213 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: that was inside of me at that time. But the 214 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: guys looked at me in there today, we believe me. 215 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: You go play U And I wouldn't played. And I 216 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: played the remainder of the game. And after the game 217 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: was over, guys came up to me and said, hey, 218 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 1: go find an apartment. You made the team. Really, So 219 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 1: now when you got drafted safety or corner? And what 220 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: did you end up playing? Because I know you did 221 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: both well, I was I didn't know. I mean I 222 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: played safety my entire career, even through high school as 223 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: a quarterback in high school and played when I played 224 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: defensive back, I played safety, So corner was new to 225 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: me and I had to learn how to play corner 226 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: at the NFL level. And then they moved me into 227 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: the slot and had to learn how to play nickel. 228 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: And but my, I mean, my deposition I was most 229 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 1: comfortable with was playing safety, So I was in an 230 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 1: uncomfortable situation. But what be learning how to play corner, 231 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: learning how to play nickel? They aided me as far 232 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: as coaching. Okay, having to learn those how to do 233 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: those things on the fly at the NFL level really 234 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: helped me as far as my coaching career is concerned. 235 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: What do you think impressed Jene Stallings right off the 236 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: bat with you as a rookie. It's certainly yeah. I 237 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: talked a lot. I can't imagine that. And there were 238 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 1: a couple of times so if you were scared they didn't, 239 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: you didn't show it well. In meetings, I talked all 240 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 1: the time. And he would he would say, I don't 241 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 1: know who else you're bothering, but you're bugging the sah 242 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: and uh. And but it carried over onto the field. 243 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: I mean, it had no problem talking, communicating, And again 244 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: it was something that came natural to me and for me, 245 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: and it aided me as far as my career is concerned. Okay, 246 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,839 Speaker 1: so you had a natural swagger about you. Did you 247 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: happen do you happen to see the Cowboys on against 248 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: Jacksonville the other day? Yeah? Watch water McGregor there, yea. 249 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: And the swagger that the players had at jeff Heath 250 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: after an interceptions walking with that swagger? How important is 251 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: that swagger? Well, I mean you gotta believe in yourself. 252 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: I mean there's people you have enough. I mean, the 253 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 1: other team is trying to defeat you. So they had 254 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: pretty good swagger to Jal is pretty good too. But 255 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: you have to believe in yourself. And if you don't 256 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: believe in yourself, who then is gonna believe in you? 257 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: And so we had a group of guys who I mean, 258 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: we just believe we could play and we enjoyed playing. 259 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: We love playing and we played all the time, I 260 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: mean game day was like, I mean, guys will be 261 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: popping out of their skin waiting for game day. Practice 262 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: was was fun, but games were the ultimate and we 263 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: just enjoyed going out and performing. All Right, We're just 264 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: getting started with Dennis Thurbat here on the Cowboys and 265 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: Legends show. Well, I bore from the Cowboys Club at 266 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: the Star in Frisco in just a moment to the 267 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: SWBC Mortgage Dellas Cowboys Legends Show broadcasting life from the 268 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: Cowboys Club at the Star in Frisco, ask WBC Mortgage. 269 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: For more than forty years, s WBC has been helping people, companies, 270 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 1: and financial institutions prepared to win in Texas and across 271 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: the country. Visit SWBC dot com to learn more. This 272 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: is the Cowboys Legend Show. Bill Jones with Mickey Spagnola 273 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: and the great Dennis Thurman, former Cowboys defensive back, is 274 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: in the house tonight, as is Danny Surrect. Danny has 275 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: the wireless microphone. Got a good crowd here at the 276 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: Cowboys Club. Danny, how are you doing doing well? Bill? Yeah, 277 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: it's pretty packed here tonight. And Dennis, our first question 278 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: for you will come from Drisco. From Frisco yeah, I'm 279 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: back again. Say Dennis, are you a pastor? No you're not. No, 280 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: I'm worried. No, I'm away from that. You're at the 281 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: wrong website. Yeah, oh, I'm more of a demon. Ask 282 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: you the San Francisco game, who is the person that 283 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: gave you the hardest time during that game? It's trying 284 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: to cover? Well, I mean they the forty nine ers 285 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: had a great offense. I mean Joe Montana. To me, 286 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: it's still the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. 287 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: And Tom Brady phenomenal. A lot of people think he's 288 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: to go. I've coached against him when I was in Baltimore, 289 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: coach against him when I was a Jets, coached against 290 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: him probably, and then in Buffalo. So I've coached against 291 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: Tom Brady like twenty two times. Okay, if I had 292 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: one game to play, one game to win, I take 293 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: Joe Montana over Tom Brady. Really, yes? Interesting? All right? 294 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: People always want to if you were on that team 295 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: that played against San Francisco, they always want to ask 296 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: you about that. But I got another playoff game. I 297 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: want to ask you about. What was your favorite playoff game? 298 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: Come on the one against Green Bay? Yeah? Yeah, pretty 299 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: well that day, Yeah, I did, okay, you could, okay, 300 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: three picks including a pick six, right, Yeah, I was 301 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: the Packers in the playoff. Yeah, I was okay that day. 302 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: I mean actually, uh, you know, playing against James Lofton 303 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: and and and uh you know at the time, they 304 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: had uh, John Jefferson, who was considered one of the 305 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: greatest receivers out of Dallas here, right exactly. So we 306 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: got ready to play that game, and all we heard 307 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: about was you're gonna have to cover James Lofton. You're 308 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: gonna have to cover John Jefferson. And uh, you know, 309 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: Lofton had a great game but actually had more interceptions 310 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: than John Jefferson had. Yeah, so you're a rookie. Year 311 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: they go back to the you guys go back to 312 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl, right, You just kind of think that's 313 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 1: the way it works in the NFL. You just, yeah, 314 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: I thought it was gonna be real easy. I thought 315 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: we were gonna play in the Super Bowl every year 316 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: because they had gone in seventy seven. Uh, you know, 317 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: we go back in seventy eight, and then we have 318 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: the best record in the in the NFC in nineteen 319 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: seventy nine, and where we get home field advantage all 320 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,959 Speaker 1: throughout and took pass that Billy Waddy ends up catching 321 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: and scoring a touchdown, and we end up we lose 322 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: that game. And you know, the next year, we go 323 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: to the championship game. The next year, we go back 324 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: to the championship game. The next year we go back 325 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: to the championship game, and we lose all three. Yeah, 326 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,199 Speaker 1: not quite as bad as what Buffalo did, you know, 327 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: by going four straight Super Bowls and losing all four 328 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: of them. But at the same time, when you go 329 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: and you get that close to the to your goal 330 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: and then not to achieve it, it, I mean that 331 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: sticks with you. And I mean I can recall plays, conversations, 332 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: you know, with coaches and players out on the field, 333 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: because you never forget it. Yeah. And in that Super 334 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: Bowl you you recovered an on sidekick. Yeah, and you 335 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: know whose hands it went off of, don't you know 336 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: Tony Dungeon. No, do you remind them of that when 337 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: you run into him? Yeah, I say, look, you got 338 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: me a little fame, dude, you help me a little 339 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: fing as a rookie. Y. Yeah, But Tony, Tony and 340 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,959 Speaker 1: I are good friends. He's a good guy. So the 341 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: Cowboys are playing the Redskins this week, Right, it's not 342 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: the same. But you were involved in that rivalry when 343 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 1: it was at its height. I think, yeah, the fun bunch. Yeah, 344 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: we tried to break it up, and uh, two of 345 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: us tried to break it up. Ever, all the defensive 346 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: backs was supposed to be there. Only two of us 347 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: showed up. So I'm a little mad. It's still angry 348 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: because you were. You were in the middle of it, right, 349 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: I was right in. So what's your what's your best 350 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: memory of that rivalry? One game that really sticks out 351 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: the championship game that we lost because it was I mean, 352 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: the fans at RFK were phenomenal. Remember they had those 353 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: those metal bleachers and they would start to stomp on 354 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: those things and you could feel that stadium would start 355 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: to rock and shake, and it was there was no 356 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: greater feeling than going in there and winning. And even 357 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 1: though we lost that day, we competed. We lost our quarterback, 358 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: we lost Danny Gary Hogeboom had had that game was 359 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: that tournament right right, exactly exactly, and Geary went in 360 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: and played well. We ended up losing the game, but 361 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,880 Speaker 1: it was a great atmosphere and always was a great 362 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: atmosphere to go into DC and have to play. So 363 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 1: I didn't get here till eighty four. And probably my 364 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 1: favorite memory was the season opener in eighty five. Yeah, 365 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: we did all right, We did all right. It was 366 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: Joe's birthday. We gave him a president. So for folks 367 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: who had a little background here, it was a season 368 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 1: opener in eighty five. It was a Monday night game. Uh, 369 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: national television. Uh, it was Joe's birthdays. And the year 370 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: before he kind of messed with you guys, right, Yeah 371 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: he did. Yeah, he is talking a little bit, but talk. 372 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: He talked a little bit. I mean, we all did. 373 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: I mean it's hard to see when guys are talking 374 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: with a football helmet on. Okay, it's easy to see 375 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: when baseball players talk, when basketball players talk with when 376 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,199 Speaker 1: football they have no idea. You're out there talking as 377 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,479 Speaker 1: much trash as you're talking. So if you learn how 378 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: to do it, you can do it. All game was 379 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: that the game he was messing around kneeling. They were 380 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: going to kneel out the game, and Fellows jumped him. Yeah, 381 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: did you get a piece of any of that? And no, 382 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: I'm a piecemaker, not quite a reverend. But piece so, 383 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: so it had to be really great. So in the 384 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: eighty five game, the Cowboys ended up Interceptingisman five times 385 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 1: and the guy next to me got the last one 386 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: and returned it for a touchdown. Did you recall what 387 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: happened after that? Yeah, Danny White, Yeah, Danny White nicknamed 388 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,959 Speaker 1: the Thurmas thieves, and uh, but we had been stealing 389 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: passes long before that, I mean, right, What people don't 390 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,120 Speaker 1: remember is that, you know, they've had some great secondaries. Uh, 391 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,640 Speaker 1: you know, Legion of Boom. You know it gets they 392 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: have their nickname. There's been a great same I mean, 393 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: but from nineteen eighty one, and it's the greatest accomplishment 394 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: that I feel best about individually with the Cowboys was 395 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: that nineteen eighty one through nineteen eighty five we intercepted 396 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: you go look it up. We intercepted one hundred and 397 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: fifty balls. Wow. Okay, we averaged thirty interceptions the season 398 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: for five years. And there was another team, Seattle Seahawks 399 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: had a nice secondary with Kenny Easily and his last 400 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: name was Harris. He was a free safety, and I 401 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: think they intercepted one hundred and fifty balls and that 402 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,719 Speaker 1: same during that time period. Yeah, so when you can 403 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: average thirty interceptions the season and the game wasn't being played, 404 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: I mean, that's all. I mean, we'd like to turn 405 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: the clock back and see what we could do so 406 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: that year, which seems like totally unrealistic since Cowboys have 407 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: trouble right now, getting a couple of interceptions. You guys 408 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: had thirty six interceptions that year and the DBS had 409 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: thirty three, Right, that's that's unbelievable. Well, I mean we 410 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: had fun. We used to challenge each other in meetings 411 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 1: and in practice. You know, who's gonna get an interception, 412 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: who's gonna get it. But it was all in the 413 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: structure of the defense. We had one guy who might 414 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 1: have gone outside of stall, but he he had a 415 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: knack for being in the wrong place and the ball 416 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 1: would show up. It was the damnedest thing you ever seen. 417 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: I mean. And then you you hear, you know, you 418 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: hear you talk to your quarterbacks and Joe Tisman say, 419 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: he said, I knew you knew where you were gonna be. 420 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: I didn't worry about you, he said, But Cubby, because 421 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: that was ever since nickname, he said, I never knew 422 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 1: where he was. No one we didn't know where he 423 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: was gonna be at the time, so well, but he 424 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: made plays and what a great football player he is. 425 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: So everybody remembers Everson the interceptions, but this guy led 426 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: the team twice, right, two years he had five interceptions 427 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: that year. Ron Fellows has four, Bill Bates had four. 428 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: How did Bill Bates get four interceptions? Probably tip balls 429 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: because bill hands weren't the best hands. You'll have a 430 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: fine But Bill was a great football player. And we 431 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: love playing with Dexter Clinkscale with three, Michael Downs with three, 432 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: and Victor Scott with two. That's just unbelievable. Yeah, but 433 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty nineteen eighty one was the year we I 434 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: think we had thirty eight, thirty seven or thirty eight 435 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: that year. Well that was the year. So Cubby has eleven, 436 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 1: I had nine, and Mike Downs had seven. So really, 437 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: and you combine it, we had twenty seven of the 438 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: thirty eight interceptions, So three guys. It wasn't an age 439 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,680 Speaker 1: when maybe they just weren't throwing them. I'm not down 440 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: playing the interceptions, but that's a lot of interceptions. Well, 441 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: we knew, we studied, we knew how to make plays. Oh, 442 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: we only look Here's what we do is as a 443 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: defensive back, you don't you know, you're not going to 444 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: intercept every pass, and so we would look for our 445 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:16,640 Speaker 1: opportunity within the game. You study, you study, and you say, okay, 446 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:20,919 Speaker 1: this formation right here, I'm going to anticipate this because 447 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: this is what they've been doing. And if they do 448 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: what I've seen them do, I have a chance to 449 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: make a play, just as the receiver does. It may 450 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 1: be a two minute situation, it may be a third 451 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: down situation, it may be a red zone situation where 452 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: you're looking at it and you're looking for your one 453 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,120 Speaker 1: opportunity in that game to make a play. And that's 454 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: how we used to study and anticipate. For instance, we 455 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: used to play when we play the Eagles, anytime in 456 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,640 Speaker 1: a two minute situation, they would get into three by 457 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: one setting. Single receiver trips would be to their right, 458 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 1: are left, and if the two outside receivers both went vertical, 459 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 1: number three ran and out. Okay, if the two inside 460 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: receivers went vertical, the outside receiver ran the dig Remember 461 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: all this, yes, and so you're sitting there and you go, okay, 462 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 1: I was the backside I was the backside safety on 463 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: three by one, both of those inside receivers went vertical. 464 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 1: I stepped to my right away from Jaworski and he 465 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,679 Speaker 1: came back, and how knew the dig was coming and 466 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: I went and intercepted it. But that was it. That's 467 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: what you look to do. And I don't know if 468 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: guys study like that or prepare like that anymore, but 469 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: that's how we used to study and prepare. And at 470 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: the conclusion, we were talking about that eighty five game. 471 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: When Dennis intercepted the ball, it was the fifth interception 472 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: returns it for a touchdown. The whole stadium, the Texas 473 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: Stadium stood up and sang Happy Birthday to joe Thighs. 474 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: Remember that the funniest thing I think I ever seed 475 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: in my life. Happy Birthday to you. They get to Joey, 476 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: they called them Joey. How good was Texas Stadium? How good? 477 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 1: That great a place to play? Was that? It was 478 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: a phenomenal place to play? Did you play in a 479 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: better place? I mean it was so close, everybody was 480 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,120 Speaker 1: so on top of the field. That's what you loved 481 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: about it. The intimacy of it was. I mean we 482 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,120 Speaker 1: came out and the Cowboy fans were fantastic and they've 483 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: always have been fantastic, And just playing that old stadium 484 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 1: was one of the treats of my career having an 485 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to play there. You know, everybody talking about, hey, 486 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: why did the hole in the Room of God has 487 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: a chance to watch the game, like, yeah, right, all 488 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: those characters we had on our team, and you just 489 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,360 Speaker 1: missed a chance to be there for the final game 490 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: of Texas Stadium because you were a coach for the 491 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: Ravens up to the seventh season. Actually actually went to 492 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: the game. Yeah, I went, and uh it wasn't very 493 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: good for the Cowboys. The Red pretty much destroyed them 494 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 1: that day. But uh, you know, closing that stadium down, 495 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: it was you know, it was tough, you know, sentimental 496 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: for us that us guys that aid their whole career 497 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: there and like I said, was a great place to play. 498 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 1: All right. We continue with Dennis Thurman here on the 499 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: Cowboys Legend Show in just a moment a touchdown to 500 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: the SWBC mortgage. Dennis Cowboys Legends Show broadcasting live from 501 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:21,360 Speaker 1: the Cowboys Club at the Star in Frisco. Fans United, 502 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: where you can find game day gear for every Cowboys 503 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,919 Speaker 1: fan visit shop Fans United dot com to find a 504 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,880 Speaker 1: location near you. Bill Jones with Mickey Spagnola and Dennis 505 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 1: Thurman here on the Cowboys Legends show. We got about 506 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 1: another half hour to go. Danny Serek has the wireless microphone. 507 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 1: Any of you in attendance here at the Cowboys Club 508 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: at the Star in Frisco. Find Danny if you have 509 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 1: a question for Dennis Thurman. Danny, what do you got? Now? Well, 510 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: now I have Terry from Frisco with our next question. 511 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: I enjoyed Durman's days for a long time. I have 512 00:27:58,040 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: a question. You know, I grew up in West Texas 513 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: and form tackling was to stick your head gear. With 514 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 1: the changes in the rules and how that's all shifted, 515 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: you're a defensive coach, how do you teach somebody to tackle? 516 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: I know, arm tackling isn't really what you do shoulder, 517 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: but what's what do you do? Yeah, it's become very 518 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: difficult because, yeah, we form tackling is no longer allowed. 519 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: H If you it looks like now if you use 520 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:26,719 Speaker 1: especially the crown of your helmet. But in the day, 521 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: you weren't taught to tackle that way. You would talk 522 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: to a tackle, face up, hit, lift a wrap lift 523 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: and take a guy to the ground. But it's very 524 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: difficult to do to me. Because of the rules. You're 525 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: gonna see more leg injuries because guys are gonna start 526 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: going lower and when guys are bigger than you. The 527 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: best way I can tell them the tackle was just 528 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: go body block somebody, Just go cut them down. And 529 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: because now, especially if if you hit a quarterback and 530 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: you form tackle them to the ground and you land 531 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: on them, you're gonna get a penalty, but you're also 532 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: gonna get a letter from the missioner in a fine. 533 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: So guys are guys are having a difficult time with it, 534 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: and I think that they're going to continue to have 535 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: a difficult time with it. I was reading it was 536 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: it might have been the Green Bay game the other night. 537 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: One of the defenders said he was getting ready to 538 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: hit Aaron Rodgers and he realized if he did what 539 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: he was getting ready to do, he was gonna get 540 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: fined and get fifteen yards, and he pulled off. Well 541 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: that's what happens. I mean, people think that you only 542 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: get the penalty. Yeah, you don't just get the penalty, 543 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: you get a letter from the Commissioner's office telling you 544 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: you probably lost twenty thousand dollars. Yeah, and you know, 545 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: so guys are are becoming very aware of that. I mean, 546 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: it happened in the Kansas City, New England game where 547 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: the linebacker had Tom Brady, but he thought he had 548 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: thrown the ball so he didn't want to take him 549 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: to the ground because he feared you get a penalty. 550 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: Next thing, you know, Tom Brady, even as slow as 551 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: he is, and he's slow, he runs four yards into 552 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: the end zone for a touchdown and the kid is 553 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: sit eas standing and he's looking shocked like, you know, well, 554 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: what did you guys want me to do? And you 555 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 1: know the the other young man who played for the 556 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: Miami Dolphins who pulled off and ended up tearing up 557 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: his acl you know, trying to keep from landing on 558 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: the quarterback. So it's caused some issues and you got 559 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: to look at it both ways. I understand protecting the quarterback, 560 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: but to degree that they're protecting them, I think some 561 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: quarterbacks were even complaining about it. All right. Dennis Thurman, 562 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: he played at USC, two time All American at USC 563 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: and then eight years with the Cowboys, another year with 564 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: the Saint Louis Cardinals coaching career, first with the Phoenix 565 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: Cardinals and you mentioned the Ohio Glory. You're at USC 566 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: for several years before getting back eight years before getting 567 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: back into the NFL with the Ravens, and then the 568 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: Jets and the Bills, and now the defensive coordinator for 569 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: the new Alliance of American Football Memphis Express. I got 570 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: a challenge for you now, all right, all right, going 571 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: back to your college days, your time with the Cowboys, 572 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: your coaching career, I want you to put together your 573 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: secondary that you've either played with or coached. Get a 574 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: load of these names. Okay, you're all time secondary? All right, 575 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: Well I'll get you started. You played with Ronnie Lott. 576 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: Is Ronnie Lott gonna be in your secondary? Yeah? He'd 577 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: be a starting strong Okay, he's just starting strong. Safety. 578 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: Ed ree would be ed Reef you had at Baltimore. 579 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: There's another safety for you. Oh, Chris McAlister and Derrelle 580 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: Revs would be my corner Yay Revs at the Jets, 581 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: you know, Yeah, your Joy Polamalu would be he'd be 582 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: on the field somewhere where's Dion. Dion would be on 583 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: the field at nickel, I put a nickel, No, gotta 584 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 1: put the dean at corner. Listen to these and Dion 585 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: would play corner so that I'd have to move Chris 586 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: into the slot and he'd be my nickel corner. These 587 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: are like anyone who could put together and all times 588 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: secondary that you got the National Football League and this 589 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: guy did his third but he's either played with or 590 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: coached of it. Jason Sehorn was pretty good too. Wow, 591 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: And uh, actually I'm more proud to Jason for Mary 592 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 1: and Angie Harmon. That's amazing though. I mean, yeah, I've 593 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 1: had an opportunity to coach some really really good ones 594 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, we we've had a great time. 595 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:26,479 Speaker 1: I'm friends with all of them. I stand touched with 596 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,959 Speaker 1: all of them, and uh, a bunch of great human beings. 597 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: So this this is interesting. Bill. Let him tell we 598 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: were talking beforehand, tell the story about how you got 599 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 1: into coaching. Oh, my seventh after my seventh year, UH 600 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: coach Landry called me in his office and we had 601 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: just moved into the new facility UH in Valley Ranch, 602 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: and I didn't know why he was calling me, but 603 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: he asked could he see me? And I he started 604 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: in he said have you He asked me, how to 605 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: ever thought about coaching? And I looked at him and 606 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: I said, oh, I said, coach, I still want to play, 607 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: and he goes, no, I know that, I know that, 608 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: but I'm just asking you. Have you ever thought about it? 609 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: And I said no. He said, well, you might want 610 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: to think about it because you prepare like a coach. 611 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: You studied the game like a coach. And I had 612 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: never thought of it that way. And that was the 613 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: first time that someone peaked my interests as far as coaching. 614 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: But then I had ended up playing a couple more years, 615 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: and then I retired after the nineteen eighty sixth season 616 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: after I finished that one year with the Saint Wis Cardinals. 617 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: By the way, I hated it, but I did it 618 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: because Coach Stallings was now the head coach, and you know, 619 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: he wanted me to be there to help the transition 620 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 1: from for the other guys. And we ended up having 621 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:47,959 Speaker 1: a pretty good defense that year. We ended up finishing 622 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: third or fourth in the NFL, even though our record 623 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: was three eleven and whatever it was. But anyway, and 624 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 1: so I retired and I went home and had a 625 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 1: young daughter at the time, now a lawyer, and she 626 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: tells me what to do. But I spent a lot 627 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: of time with her in nineteen eighty seven, and one morning, 628 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:13,800 Speaker 1: a deputy sheriff knocked on my door and I answered 629 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 1: the door, and I looked at him, and I had 630 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 1: no idea. I didn't know what I had done. I 631 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 1: was trying to figure out what I mean, what did 632 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,239 Speaker 1: you do? I mean, why are you here? He said, no, no, no, 633 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: don't worry about it. He says, uh, Gene Stalins is 634 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 1: trying to get in touch with you. And that's how 635 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 1: I got into coaching. He offered me a coaching job 636 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: with through a deputy sheriff knocking on my door. He 637 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 1: was trying to find a phote number cell phones, right, yeah, 638 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: yeah in today's world. Yeah, he had picked up the 639 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: cell phone in that world. He sent a deputy sheriff 640 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: to knock on my door. And Jean's an all timer, right. 641 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: I love Gene. He's great, great, great coach. And I 642 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: enjoyed playing for him, enjoyed working with him when I 643 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: coached with him, And you know, he wanted me to 644 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: go to Alabama with him after we left the Cardinals. 645 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: But I was going through some personal things and I 646 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: just I needed a break, and uh but I missed 647 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: out on a national championship. I'm not sure I had 648 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 1: a second one, right, Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I 649 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: don't know. Me and Alabama, I don't know if we were, 650 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 1: I don't know. It was one thing coming to Dallas. Yeah, 651 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: going down there, it might have been a little different. 652 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: But uh no, I love Jeane. Jane was a great 653 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: guy and he still is. And uh, you know, I 654 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: saw him about six months ago and he looked good. Yeah, 655 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:31,840 Speaker 1: he had heart attack or whatever it was. It was 656 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 1: right before he had that little whatever it was a 657 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,319 Speaker 1: little hiccup. Yeah, that I saw him, and uh kind 658 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: of scared me a little bit. But he seems to be, 659 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: you know, bouncing back from it because a matter of fact, 660 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,400 Speaker 1: that happened a little bit after I told you, we 661 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:46,040 Speaker 1: went and interviewed it, right, Okay, And then I read 662 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: where Yeah, well he's going to Alabama because he's got 663 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 1: to make a speech at some fundraiser. He didn't know 664 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: how to sit still. Yeah, but I didn't either, and 665 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: I don't now so neither do I. So I think Danny, 666 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: can we sneak a question. Let's let's come back to Okay, 667 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: we'll do that after this time out. We continue with 668 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: Dennis Thurman in just a moment here the Cowboys Legend Show. 669 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 1: It's a touchdown. It's a touchdown. Struck to the SWBC 670 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: Mortgage Dallas Cowboys Legends Show, broadcasting live from the Cowboys 671 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 1: Club at the Star in Frisco. We've got ten or 672 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 1: twelve minutes left here on the Dallas Cowboys Legends Show. 673 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: All across the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network. Bill Jones with 674 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,240 Speaker 1: Mickey Spagnola, and the great Dennis Thurman is in the house. 675 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: It's been a great conversation going down Cowboys memory Lane 676 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 1: with the charter member of Thurman's Thieves from back in 677 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: the late seventies and the eighties with the Cowboys in 678 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,920 Speaker 1: a long distinguished career as an assistant coach in the 679 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: National Football League and in college at his alma mater 680 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: at USC. Danny Serek as the wireless microphone here at 681 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: the Cowboys Club at the Star, and Danny, how you 682 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: doing doing well? And I I'm with Bill from Chicago 683 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: for our next question. I promise I won't bring up 684 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 1: that eighty five Bears game. Please please, That was the 685 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: worst whipping we took as a team in my career. 686 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 1: Please don't it's forty four, nothing was the score. Yeah, 687 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: well these things happen, right, And and Mike, Mike Semetary 688 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: and I talked about that all the time. Yeah, I bet. 689 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 1: So who was your mentor when you got in the 690 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,439 Speaker 1: league at the beginning, and who did you mentor as 691 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,920 Speaker 1: you got out of the league From a player's standpoint, Well, um, 692 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:45,120 Speaker 1: like I said, I when I first came into the league, 693 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 1: Charlie Waters and Cliff Hairs were two guys that were 694 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: premier at their position, and they're very intelligent, and I 695 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,480 Speaker 1: felt like I was a pretty smart guy too, but 696 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: I wasn't as smart as them. So yeah, when they 697 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:01,280 Speaker 1: were talking, I listened with when everybody else was talking, 698 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 1: I talked. So I learned from those two guys for 699 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 1: the most part. But coach Stalin's was as good as 700 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: a coach as I've ever been around, very thorough made 701 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: sure we understood what we were supposed to be doing, 702 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,040 Speaker 1: and then he once that once we knew what we 703 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:18,240 Speaker 1: were supposed to do, he allowed us to go play. 704 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:22,399 Speaker 1: So in that regard, I was very very appreciative. But 705 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:25,879 Speaker 1: and then as a coach. I mean just being able 706 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 1: to talk to guys and have them understand what it's 707 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,560 Speaker 1: what it is to be a professional, and what it 708 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 1: takes to be a professional and if what if you 709 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 1: want to get everything you want to get out of 710 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 1: this game, you got to put your mind, body, and 711 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 1: soul into it. There was the saying that Coach Lander 712 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: used to have and it's and I found it to 713 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: be very true. He says, once you learn how to 714 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,040 Speaker 1: play this game, you'll be too old to play it, 715 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: and that's true for most of us. Okay, I became 716 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 1: a smarter football player after my career was over, but 717 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,880 Speaker 1: that's why I got like Tom Brady right now is 718 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: able to play the game the way he plays it 719 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,240 Speaker 1: because he understand there's nothing he hadn't seen. There's nothing 720 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:11,279 Speaker 1: that he doesn't understand on that football field. And he's 721 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:14,840 Speaker 1: still able to play at eighteen nineteen years into his 722 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: career because he mastered how to play the game. But 723 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,480 Speaker 1: he's not too old to play it right now, and 724 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: that's why he's still playing at such a high level. 725 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: So let me see if I got this right. You 726 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: played for John McKay, yes, John Robinson, yes, Tom Landry Yes, 727 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:37,760 Speaker 1: under Gene Stallings all champions. And then if I remember correctly, 728 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: Cowboys assistant coaches when you first got there, Dan Reeves 729 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 1: Dick still there. Yeah, Mike Dicker was the one that 730 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:50,239 Speaker 1: gave me the nickname Nate. Nate. Yeah, my nickname Nate 731 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 1: Thurman the basketball because he couldn't he couldn't remember my 732 00:39:53,760 --> 00:40:02,879 Speaker 1: name was Dennis henketball player felled his last name differently, Yahnisuran. Yes, 733 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: and so if if you ever see, if I ever 734 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 1: see a former Cowboy teammate whatever, they all called me 735 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:13,320 Speaker 1: Nate and they they people were like, well why do 736 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:15,879 Speaker 1: you why do they call you Nate? And I Mike 737 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 1: Dicka couldn't remember my name was Dennis, so he could 738 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 1: remember Nate, so he called me Nate and it stopped. 739 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:23,839 Speaker 1: And he was the special teams coming right, So I'm 740 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 1: assuming you were on special was on special teams and 741 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: he said, man, I can't remember your name. Your name 742 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 1: is Nate from now, so they stopped. And of course 743 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 1: Dennis Thurban coached in college at USC. So did you 744 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:38,399 Speaker 1: have Chris Rochard at USC? Yeah? I recruited Chris out 745 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 1: of out of Sarah High School in Gardena. Chris played 746 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 1: for me for two years. And the craziest thing is 747 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:48,520 Speaker 1: he remembers our first meeting. Really. Yeah, he's a great kid, 748 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:51,520 Speaker 1: I mean, and we're friends. I think he's doing a 749 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,800 Speaker 1: phenomenal job coaching in here. And uh, I think this 750 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 1: guy's a limit for him. So could you tell when 751 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 1: you were recruiting him that he had those in stinks 752 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,360 Speaker 1: where he would be a coach someday or too early 753 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: to tell you, No, it was too early to tell. 754 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,960 Speaker 1: He was a heck of a football player, a great family, mom, dad, 755 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 1: I mean, phenomenal family, and the things I remember by 756 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,279 Speaker 1: Chris was just a quality of human being, probably a 757 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:18,480 Speaker 1: better person than he was a player. And he's a 758 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:20,239 Speaker 1: pretty good player. I mean he at the time he 759 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: was running like a ten five hundred meters, I mean, 760 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:27,279 Speaker 1: really could run, really could cover. Very inquisitive, wanted to 761 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:29,440 Speaker 1: know why we were doing what we were doing, so 762 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 1: I guess in some respects, I mean, I just knew 763 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:35,520 Speaker 1: he wanted to play. And then he got drafted by 764 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: the Seattle Seahawks. Then he played for them for three 765 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,919 Speaker 1: or four years, and then his career kind of knows 766 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: died And we talked before he got into coaching and 767 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: he was asking me about it, and I said, look, 768 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:48,359 Speaker 1: so it can be very rewarding, you know, it can 769 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: be also be very frustrating. I said, but if you, 770 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,239 Speaker 1: if you hang in there, and said, you probably end 771 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,239 Speaker 1: up carving out a pretty good career for yourself. And 772 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:56,960 Speaker 1: he's done just that. And of course he coached the 773 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:01,560 Speaker 1: legion in Seattle. How impressed her? Or were you with that? Secondary? 774 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 1: They were good. They were good. They were good, um, 775 00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 1: And you gotta give them credit. They did some phenomenal things. 776 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 1: The only the thing that bothers me, if there's one 777 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 1: regret I have when I don't have many, is that 778 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: here in Dallas we never got a chance to win 779 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. Because if you have a nickname and 780 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 1: you win a championship, that nickname lasts for yes. And 781 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: so you know, we kind of know our poster still 782 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:31,440 Speaker 1: is pretty good. But did you did you keep the hat? Oh? 783 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:35,160 Speaker 1: Did we know? We got in trouble. We got in 784 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,480 Speaker 1: trouble for wearing those hats. We'll talk about that some 785 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:42,160 Speaker 1: other day. We talked about it with Cobby. They were 786 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,279 Speaker 1: they were staying at the it was the old train 787 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,400 Speaker 1: station they turned into all the shopping mall in st 788 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:51,880 Speaker 1: h and they all went and bought these kind of 789 00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 1: we wanted to be like Tom Landry and unfortunately, yeah, 790 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 1: real bad. Yeah, And it was like, Okay, they're messing 791 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:03,799 Speaker 1: around with hats, are not worrying about football. I don't 792 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 1: think the hat at anything. But we got interviews before 793 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: the game. Yeah, Hey, that's part of growing up. Well, 794 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:16,200 Speaker 1: we're your knuckleheads back then, there's part of growing up. 795 00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:20,759 Speaker 1: I think Danny may have another question from someone in 796 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:23,880 Speaker 1: attendance here, Danny, Well, this time the questions from me. 797 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:27,359 Speaker 1: Oh well all right, step right up. Yes, the best 798 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:31,000 Speaker 1: for last year exactly, Dannis. You worked with Rob and 799 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:35,000 Speaker 1: Rex Ryan, Right, that's one of your favorite story with 800 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:39,880 Speaker 1: them that you can say on the radio. I worked 801 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:45,040 Speaker 1: with Rex much longer than Rob. They're Yeah, there's some 802 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 1: funny stories, but they're a little bit personal, so I 803 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,160 Speaker 1: can't get into it. I can tell you this. They 804 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 1: both have huge personalities and they're very confident in themselves. 805 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:01,920 Speaker 1: But neither one of them is their dad. Their dad 806 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: Buddy better football coach than both of them, and I 807 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,800 Speaker 1: think they would say that too. Buddy Ryan, Yeah, he 808 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:10,719 Speaker 1: was awfully good and I'm eighty five team. By the way, Yeah, 809 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:15,000 Speaker 1: they're from Chicago. So when you you were talking about 810 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:18,640 Speaker 1: Chris roshard Um, do you see some of his fingerprints 811 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:22,439 Speaker 1: on maybe how the Cowboys dps are playing a little 812 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:26,520 Speaker 1: bit differently than it used to, Yes, and much more aggressive. Uh, 813 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:31,080 Speaker 1: they're they're they're they're playing a lot more man than 814 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 1: they played in the past. Because Rod our coach would 815 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:36,000 Speaker 1: Rob as well at us SEE for two years, did 816 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:39,200 Speaker 1: I did Rod and I won his Cotton Bowl championship. 817 00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:42,600 Speaker 1: We beat came here and beat Texas Tech off. We 818 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:46,600 Speaker 1: beat the brakes off of them, and then we uh 819 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:50,560 Speaker 1: we beat Northwestern uh in the Rose Bowl the following year, 820 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 1: and uh, he was in charge of the past for 821 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,759 Speaker 1: US I had to I had the secondary and that 822 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:58,160 Speaker 1: year we only gave up six touchdown passes and I 823 00:44:58,239 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 1: think they had something like thirty five forty sacks. So 824 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:04,759 Speaker 1: we worked well together. And I respect Rod a lot 825 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:08,400 Speaker 1: and he's a really really really fine football coach but 826 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:11,440 Speaker 1: also a better man. Yeah, And so you know, just 827 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 1: working with Chris or coaching Chris and working with Rod, 828 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,760 Speaker 1: I know I know the Cowboys defenses in good hands. 829 00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:22,799 Speaker 1: I believe that they've only given up touchdown passes when 830 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,560 Speaker 1: they make mistakes back there. When they don't make the 831 00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:28,680 Speaker 1: mistake back there, they're hard to throw the ball against. 832 00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:32,080 Speaker 1: And that's what you want. You want your secondary to 833 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:35,839 Speaker 1: be one where they're all together, they know what each 834 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:38,960 Speaker 1: other is supposed to be doing. If they don't beat themselves, 835 00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:40,920 Speaker 1: they are going to be hard to beat. You know. 836 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 1: That's a pretty good observation because against Seattle they had 837 00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,919 Speaker 1: two busted coverages for touchdowns, and then the next week 838 00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:50,440 Speaker 1: when Detroit took the league late, another busted coverage. Right, yes, 839 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:53,040 Speaker 1: and they seem like they straightened it out last week. 840 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:55,719 Speaker 1: And Blake Bortles isn't the greatest quarterback in the National 841 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: Football League, but he still is a quarterback in the league. 842 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:01,080 Speaker 1: And like Tom Langer used to tell us all the time, 843 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:03,839 Speaker 1: if he's in the league, you gotta respect him. And uh, 844 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:05,880 Speaker 1: you know, so he can he can throw the football. 845 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: But they did a great job. The key is this weekend. 846 00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:14,360 Speaker 1: Can they go into Washington and keep Washington under control? 847 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:16,880 Speaker 1: Washington may run the ball a little bit, AP's running 848 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 1: the ball really well right now, but can they keep 849 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:22,759 Speaker 1: in the passing game at Alex Smith can they keep 850 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:25,080 Speaker 1: that under control? If they can, I think they have 851 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:26,800 Speaker 1: a great chance to go up there and win. You know, 852 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,160 Speaker 1: the one thing I noticed about them and their passing 853 00:46:29,239 --> 00:46:33,359 Speaker 1: game there, their leading receiver is Thompson. They're running back 854 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:35,440 Speaker 1: and the next one's the tight end read and the 855 00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:40,400 Speaker 1: next wide receiver, uh sixteen catches and and and that's it. 856 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:44,160 Speaker 1: And Jamison Crowder's hurt, and Crowder's hurt. So it'll be 857 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:46,120 Speaker 1: interesting to see how they But yeah, they got to 858 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: go on the road, right, As Zeke said, if we 859 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:49,719 Speaker 1: don't win in on the road, we ain't go into 860 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:52,360 Speaker 1: the playoffs. But that's true, that's true. But you know, 861 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:56,000 Speaker 1: the thing is is that their defense has been traveling 862 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:00,839 Speaker 1: and again they got to keep the pass game under 863 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:03,759 Speaker 1: control of the Redskins because of what you just said. 864 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:08,160 Speaker 1: They don't have particularly a number one receiver either. They 865 00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:11,000 Speaker 1: do have a big time tight end he's healthy, and 866 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:15,320 Speaker 1: their running back is their leading yet well receiver. And 867 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:17,560 Speaker 1: I just feel like they should go in there and 868 00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:19,360 Speaker 1: have a lot of confidence and go in there and 869 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:21,880 Speaker 1: play really well, and then the offense has got to 870 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:24,160 Speaker 1: do what they If they can score twenty one twenty 871 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:26,279 Speaker 1: four points, I think they have a great chance to 872 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:29,160 Speaker 1: win this game. Dennis Thurban This has been great. Mickey, 873 00:47:29,239 --> 00:47:32,760 Speaker 1: you outdid yourself. Mickey Books our guest, and you outdid yourself. 874 00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:37,759 Speaker 1: Get into these guys show next week because it's a 875 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:40,120 Speaker 1: buy weeks and we're back in two weeks from here 876 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:43,240 Speaker 1: at the Star Our thanks once again to Dennis Thurban. 877 00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:47,439 Speaker 1: A true sports fan wears their team's color.