1 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to this week's episode for a Cowboy Life, the 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Storytelling podcast presented by Smoothie King. Blending goodness to fuel 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 1: your greatness. I'm Brady Tinker. This week we begin to 4 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: get to know the man who has been tasked with 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: looking after, if you will, your Dallas Cowboys for most 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: of the last thirty eight years. His name is Larry Wansley. 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: As a young man, Larry went to the Marine Corps 8 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: and played football, and in nineteen sixty five he became 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: only the sixth African American hired to be a policeman 10 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 1: in the city of Compton, California. He was thrust right 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: in immediately as he worked the Watts Riots, and later 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: he was an undercover agent for the FBI, solving a 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: long long list of murders. And then the NFL reached 14 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: out about doing some work for the Dallas Cowboys. Larry 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: didn't know what the work would entail, but he was intrigued, 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: and he drove the Dallas to meet Textram and then 17 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: Tom Landry, and after two hours of mostly storytelling, he 18 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: was hired. That was nineteen eighty three. Since then, he 19 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: has developed relationships with all of the greats that you 20 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: know Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, Emmett Smith, certainly Michael Irvin, 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: and now Dak Prescott. I'm getting to know Larry and man, 22 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: has it been fun? And I asked him for just 23 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,279 Speaker 1: one of his many stories and he said, hey, Brady, 24 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: do you remember the time Tom Landry had a rifle 25 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: pointed his head during a game? No, sir, I do not. 26 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: So here it comes from Larry Wansley. They called me. 27 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: I went down to the locker room, walked in and 28 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: here are seventy eight official summing uniform. I said, hey, guys, 29 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: what's up. They explained to me that there had been 30 00:01:48,360 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: a credible death threat against coach Landry. Credible death threat 31 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: will be explained by Larry shortly. Suffice to say, this 32 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: wasn't a prank phone call. Somebody has a gun pointed 33 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:13,839 Speaker 1: at the most beloved coach in Cowboys history. Went down 34 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: to the locker room and there was a contingent of 35 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: law enforcement there, FBI, League Security, Anaheim PD, everyone you 36 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: can imagine that might be on hand for security. And 37 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: an NFL game was now in the Cowboys locker room 38 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: and they were all about to inform the head of 39 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: security for the Dallas Cowboys about an imminent threat on 40 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: head coach Tom Landry. So, Larry, how familiar are you 41 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: with every little aspect of Anaheim's Stadium? And we hadn't 42 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: been there many times, maybe once before. This was only 43 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: Larry's third year with the Cowboys, so not many stadiums 44 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: were old hat for him yet. Maybe the ones in 45 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: the NFC East, but that's about it. Old Anaheim Stadium 46 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: wasn't special, just a big box where they played baseball 47 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: and football. So of all those people in the room 48 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: right now, how many were you familiar with? The league rep? 49 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: I knew the police department people. I had just met 50 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: them that day. So I'm just giving you as much 51 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: of the lay of the land information as I can here. 52 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: So what we know is there were protocols in place 53 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: for all possible events, but a rifle pointed at the 54 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: head coach's head wasn't the norm. So let's backtrack just 55 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: a moment, Larry, when does your preparation for a Sunday 56 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: NFL road football game actually start? What I would typically 57 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: do is go in like Wednesday night or sometimes Thursday morning, 58 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: depending on the situation. Greg Aello remember Greg, Yes, I do. 59 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: Greg was the head of Cowboys PR in that year 60 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty six. He had been with a Cowboys 61 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: since nineteen seventy nine. And when it comes to shepherding 62 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: the players, the head of PR is another guy at 63 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: the very top of the list, Greg and I did 64 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: the advances. He did obviously, all the DPR stuff. I 65 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: did the nuts and bowls, operational security, that kind of thing, stadium, police, hotels, 66 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: all of those kinds of things. Hotels, stadium and police. 67 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: That's pretty much everything logistically that the players will be 68 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: a part of, except for the police part hopefully. So 69 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: typically I get there on Wednesday, Thursday. By Friday night 70 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: all our work is done, so Saturday is when the 71 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: team comes in. And then once they come in, it's 72 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: helter skelter bang bang bang, clockwork and canary schedule, so 73 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: forth and so on, and then the curfew bedchecks. Next 74 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: day is game day, and so it's just it's churney 75 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: once they come in. It's pretty consistent from week to week. Yes, 76 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: if you're on the road, very very consistent. Everything is 77 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 1: choreographed down to the minute. One of the real keys 78 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: to a great NFL organization is its ability to have 79 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: every little detail of the players and coaches preparation each 80 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: week down pat consistency is well, you've heard this a 81 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: bit too much in the last ten years with Jason Garrett, 82 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: but consistency in the process is paramount. Why well, specifically 83 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: the players who are young, now rich, now famous, need 84 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: that consistency to keep them focused, orderly, on time, and 85 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: mentally sharp during a long NFL season. They just needed. 86 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: Truth is the players crave that consistency. It gives them 87 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: peace of mind. They call me. I went down to 88 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: the locker room, walked in and here are I don't know, 89 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: seven eight official sum in uniform. I said, hey, guys, 90 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: what's up. They explain to me that there had been 91 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: a credible death threat against coach Landry. My first reaction was, 92 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: what cannot I'm surprised, No, this can't be. When it 93 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: became a very real situation and we all realized it, 94 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: then it's by the numbers, do what you need to do, 95 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: focus taking care of mitigating the problem or the vulnerability. 96 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: So we gave you a list of larious credentials earlier. 97 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: Here's some more. And by the way, did you get 98 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: amped up? Does that happen to you? I had been 99 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: a swat guy. I'd been in firefights and all that 100 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: kind of stuff, So yes, there's a certain amount of adrenaline, 101 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: but in this particular situation, it was like, Okay, we 102 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: just have to focus and get down of what we 103 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: need to At ATNC, everyone new and existing customers get 104 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: our best deals on every smartphone. Why because you deserve it. 105 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: We're turning your living room into your office and your gym, 106 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,239 Speaker 1: we're teaching Grandma had a video call and teaching her again. 107 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: It's the button on your laft Nana. Okay, your other laughs. 108 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: It's not complicated. 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So if you need 115 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: a tractor to bail some hay, a'm more to cut 116 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: some grass, or a gator to get some chores done, 117 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: get a John Deer at United agin Turf and then 118 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: let's get to work, Hey Jay, that's my line, Well 119 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: not today. Get to work with a John Deere tractor 120 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit 121 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: unitedaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft, you could 122 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: size up a cowboy by three simple factors. The crease 123 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: in his hat, the bend of his brim, and his 124 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from 125 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: what life threw at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. 126 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here 127 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: in Texas, there's still the unofficial crowd of all self 128 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the 129 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest you at 130 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: Stetson dot com. Slash Cowboys New Doctor pep zero Sugar. 131 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: You deserve it. I do deserve that. You deserve decadent 132 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: flavor without sugar, and a day at the beach without 133 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: sam getting everywhere, and a relaxing bath that your children 134 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: don't interrupt. I deserve all that's les. A visual metaphor 135 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: for Doctor Pepper zero sugar. Everything you want, nothing you don't. 136 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: A visual metaphor on the radio. I do deserve that 137 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: Doctor Pepper zero sugar. The zero you deserve is finally here, 138 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: the studying of a heart rate by the right guy 139 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: for the job. I'd have been panicked that the head 140 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: coach might get killed. I'd have probably sprinted right out 141 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: of that locker room and gone to the field to 142 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: tackle him. But I know you didn't sprint. So what'd 143 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: you lean on? Larry? Before every game you can meet 144 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: with all the officials and talk about contingencies, and normally 145 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: it's like bad weather or something like that or what 146 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: have you. And this is how we get the teams 147 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: off the field and those kinds of things. And it's 148 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: called a hundred minute meeting. We go through all that 149 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: and this is what we're going to do if if 150 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: something happens. The fact that there was a death threat 151 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: against the coach that was a little different. I bet so, 152 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: now where's your head at only information that they had 153 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: and the fact that they've been able to verify certain 154 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: aspects of it, and there was a person in the 155 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: stadium that had a weapon that was going to kill 156 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: Andry credible is simply that you know this is something 157 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,719 Speaker 1: There is very very good reason to believe that this 158 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: is Vactually, credible is not a word that they normally 159 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: use unless it's wheel. There's that definition of credible death 160 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: threat that I told you Larry would get to, credible 161 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: meaning a weapon, a crazy person, and a name target. 162 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 1: How comfortable are you with this team of responders that's 163 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: now standing in front of you. The only person that 164 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: I knew previously was the NFL security with in every 165 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: city there is a person that works for the NFL 166 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: that the team works in concert with. We've got this group, 167 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: a group of guys that are there, and they said, 168 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: we've got this very very real, credible threat. We've got 169 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: people that are now and undercover in the stands. We've 170 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: got several things that are working. But it's a situation 171 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: where we feel that coach Mandry's life is in danger. 172 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: What are you going to do? I said, I'm going 173 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: to get him off the field. Thank you, because well 174 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: back to that part where I would have been sprinting 175 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: out there without all the facts, because I'm a classic overreactor, 176 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: So go get it. So you did what. I walked out. 177 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: He was standing there, Danny White was nearby, and I 178 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: stood there and said, the coach, we've got a problem, 179 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: and he said, what's that. There's a very real threat 180 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: to your life here in the stadium. There's somebody here 181 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: in the stadium that wants to shoot you. He said, okay, 182 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: what do we do now? I said, I need to 183 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: get you out of here, and he said okay. He 184 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: turned to Danny White, who was nearby, and said, well, 185 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: I'm going with Larry. Let Jim no Jim Myers and 186 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: we started off and then I had him in a 187 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: little cocoon, if you will, and off we went. The 188 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: ever calm Tom Landry fit right in with our man, 189 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: Larry Wansley. He handed his clipboard to the next man 190 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: up and headed off the field. He's a little protected 191 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: by the players around him, but once you clear them 192 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: all the way to the tunnel off to the right, 193 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: he's pretty out in the open for a shooter. Right. 194 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: Once we walked out of the bench area, I had 195 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: a group of people surrounding him and we in a 196 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: unit just walked off into the locker room. So five big, 197 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,319 Speaker 1: brave strong men surrounding coach Landry as they walked towards 198 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: the locker room, with a coach sort of ducking his 199 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: head down in amongst these men. Thus inside the cocoon 200 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: of protectors, and we go back to the locker room 201 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: and I explained the situation to him. I had the 202 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: police commander, the FBI folks, we all explained the situation 203 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: to him, and I said, Coach, I'd really like to 204 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: have you call the rest of the game from upstairs 205 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: up in the booty. And he said, Larry, I've got 206 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: nothing but total respect for you and all these gentlemen 207 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: here and everything. You know, your business, he said, but 208 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: I feel my places with my team. Award's going to 209 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: protect me whatever is going to happen, but I really 210 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: need to be with my men. Is there some way 211 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: that we can do that. We were all sort of 212 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: awe struck me too, man. You know though, in being 213 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 1: around Coach Landry a little bit, this wasn't sort of 214 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: false bravado. I don't think, not any John Wayne toughness. 215 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: This is who he was. He was a faith guy. 216 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: But back to you guys being all struck by his fortitude. 217 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: If you can imagine, he had eighty thousand people in 218 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: the stands and somebody wants to shoot you, and you're saying, no, 219 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: I want to go back out there. I respect that 220 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: there is a one of the police officers in uniform 221 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: was about the same size, and I asked him, can 222 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 1: we follow your vest? So obviously Larry thinks that he 223 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: can protect Coach Landry, and just to be extra safe, 224 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: let's get a bulletproof vest on him. You've worn your 225 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: share of these vest through the years, Larry, what's that like? 226 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:44,959 Speaker 1: The very first one I had was like an umpire's 227 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: chess protector, you know, very very hard, and so was 228 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: like a turtle shell. Now they're very very lightweight, but 229 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: very strong. Every uniform law enforcement officer is wearing one, 230 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: and with some of them, can't tell this particular case, 231 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: he had one of the lighter versions for that time. 232 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: Coach Landry, as you probably remember, was always dressed very dapper. 233 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: Usually he wore a very nice dress shirt and a tie, 234 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: and oftentimes on a cool day, he would have a 235 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,199 Speaker 1: sweater underneath his suit coat, so a nice thin piece 236 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: of kevlar might not even show. Hey, officer, can we 237 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: borrow your vest? No problem, he takes the shirt off. 238 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: We put the best on Coach Landry. Well we didn't 239 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: realize it at the time, but just above the collar 240 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: there was just a smidge and maybe about three quarters 241 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: of an inch or a half inch of the vest 242 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: that was exposed. So I'm confused, Okay, we're going back 243 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: out on the field. We went back out, and mind you, 244 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: it's Monday night football. The world is watching and everything else. 245 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: So there was so much speculation between, you know, with 246 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: the broadcast team and as yeah, exactly, Andy Hoole, Tom 247 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 1: Landry's never been away from his team in the game. 248 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: Everybody's got their ideas about what's going on. Everybody like 249 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: the fans and the teams, are the players or are 250 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: we talking TV and media? They had a side by 251 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: side comparison of how he looked pre exit and then 252 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: how he looked posts and you could see this difference 253 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: up there. That was a lot of the banter amongst 254 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: the broadcasters. Al Michaels is one of the greats in 255 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: our media business, and Gifford is a cowboy legend. And 256 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: maybe the media always reports and is a slave to 257 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: good TV. But I swear if I was producing that broadcast, 258 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: I would have wanted to be careful of revealing a 259 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: bulletproof vest to a national audience that might include someone 260 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: the shooter knows right, I mean, I guess I'm wrong, Okay, 261 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: what's next? When I went back out there, I gathered 262 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: several of the players and I explained to them what's 263 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: going on. And I'm thinking tactical site picked sure and 264 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: everything else. And if somebody's really trying to draw a 265 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: bead on him, they're not going to be able to 266 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: do it because you've got these guys big shoulders, pads 267 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: and uniforms and everything else around him, so you can't 268 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: get a clean shot at him. Did you have lots 269 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: of volunteers to be shields for a bullet? When I 270 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: explained that, there were several players that were yeah, they're around, 271 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: and I said, look, I need you guys just to 272 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: kind of hang around Coach Landry. You know, from the 273 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: back of the crowd, somebody said she. We all kind 274 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: of laughed about it, and I think Coach even kind 275 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: of smiled with that one, you know, but they stayed, 276 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: I'm skinny. I wouldn't have been much help. I'll be 277 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: right over here rooting for good fortune to happen for everyone. 278 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: To this day, I don't know who it was. That 279 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: moment just sort of froze everything. She a little levity 280 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: was probably pretty helpful. Just then actually either that or 281 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,159 Speaker 1: pass out some small brown paper bags to breathe into 282 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: so you don't throw up. So the game finally ends, 283 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: the Cowboys lose, but coaches bullet free. So far, what 284 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: happened when the game was over? Did the coaches do 285 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: the traditional handshakes out in the middle. They just kind 286 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: of waved at one another. And we didn't have this 287 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: gathering in the middle of the field because everything was 288 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: not normal after that, and we just got off the 289 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 1: field as quickly as we could. So another sort of 290 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: cocoon to get coach Landry to the cover of the tunnel, 291 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: which would take them back to the locker room. As 292 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: you think back, Larry, did Tom Landry's feathers ever seem 293 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: even slightly ruffled? He wasn't surprised when I first told him. 294 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: He really wasn't. He said, Okay, what do you want 295 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: me to do? I said, let's get out of here. 296 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: He just wanted to be with his men, and he 297 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 1: had faith enough that you weed the professionals were going 298 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: to take care of him. How impressed were you with 299 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: Tom Landry on that day? Tom Landry was one of 300 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: the greatest men I ever knew, very very measured didn't 301 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: get riled about anything. If he did, he didn't show it. 302 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: If everything rather matter of factly, and you folks know 303 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: what you're doing, so I'm in your hands. So coach 304 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: Landry's made it to the locker room without any shots 305 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: being fired at him. That's good. How was the mood 306 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: of the locker room. I mean, usually there's a lot 307 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: of coaches talking to the team explaining things. Any of 308 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: that stuff happened. It wasn't a situation where there was 309 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: any kind of a team meeting or a gathering or 310 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: anything like that. The locker room it was just so frenzy. 311 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 1: Guys just want to get dressed and get out of air. 312 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: And we made sure the coach was in his area 313 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: and everything was okay there, but everybody was just getting 314 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: dressed and getting out of their new body got in 315 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: the coach's area, as Larry described, in a locker room, 316 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: as you might imagine, is separate from the players and 317 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: always off limits to us in the media. So once 318 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: everyone is dressed and ready, the next challenge is now 319 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: getting safely to the buses. We had extra security out 320 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: around the buses. It was beefed up for obvious reasons. 321 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: After that right, because I'm envisioning a shooter trying to 322 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: make his way to a sight line of the buses. 323 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: The next and maybe last shot he might have at 324 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 1: the coach if he's still out there running around. What 325 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: was next? Frank Gifford wanted to interview me. I didn't 326 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: want to do it, but they said, yeah, no, you 327 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: need to give him something. I said, okay, that's fine, 328 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: and we did. We had a threat to his life, 329 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: we responded, you know, we have plans in place to 330 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: handle these kinds of things. He obviously wanted a more no, 331 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: more detail about the shooter and all that, but I said, 332 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: you know what I know now, and this is how 333 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: we responded. We got him out of there. Ah, the media, 334 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: my brethren, we have to have what we want. And 335 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: you know what, that pushing usually works, because you heard 336 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: it just then, Larry was sort of pushed into it. 337 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: Give them a little something. I want to use. What 338 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: the pros use. How about the official men's skincare brand 339 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. 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Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with man. 357 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with Nag and Turf, 358 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if 359 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: you need a tractor to bail some hay, I'm more 360 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: to cut some grass or a gator to get some 361 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 1: chores done, get a John deer at unantagin Turf and 362 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, 363 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: Well not today. Get to work with a John Deere 364 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. 365 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: Visit unantaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft, you 366 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: could size up a cowboy by three simple factors. The 367 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: crease in his hat, the bend of his brim, and 368 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: his unbending attitude. A man. Stetson didn't just protect him 369 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 1: from what life throw at him, it projected a rugged, 370 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American made with pride. 371 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: Right here in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of 372 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be 373 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: on the field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest 374 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: jewit stetson dot com slash Cowboys. They identified the guy 375 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: who was a mental case. But what also happened that 376 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 1: night is they rooted out quite a few weapons in 377 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: the stands. You know, people that were people that were packing. 378 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: It's banned now in the NFL stadiums and so forth 379 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: and so on, but there were quite a few, quite 380 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: a few weapons that were discovered the Wild Wild West 381 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty six, and it seems that we have 382 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: come full circle on that front, haven't we? To the 383 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 1: buses one last hurdle to clear The buses were always 384 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: close at hand anyway, We always got them as close 385 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 1: to the locker room as we possibly could. But the 386 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: pathway to the bus was very well covered, was swept, 387 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: so to speak, looking and keeping people back, a lot 388 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: of undercover police, a lot of you foreign police in 389 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: the area and so forth. So we made sure that 390 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: we had a very very clear and safe channel for 391 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 1: him to get onto the bus. We had a lot 392 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,160 Speaker 1: of extra protection after that. If there had been any 393 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: attempt by anyone, it would have been thwarted very very quickly. 394 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: I mean, we virtually had an army out there. Larry 395 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:23,479 Speaker 1: and his team had it covered. Guys like this think 396 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: about these scenarios all the time. Nothing was getting through 397 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: the cracks because there were no cracks. Did you have 398 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: a thank you meeting with coach Landry at any point? 399 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: Something very very brief, but very courteous and grateful and 400 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 1: thanks as three didn't have a whole lot to say, 401 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: but you got the message right away. He was very 402 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: very thankful and that was it. If you ask any 403 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: of Tom Landry's players through the years, they would have 404 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 1: echoed that very sentiment. Tom Landry was great with his 405 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: breath and his clarity. You always got the message final 406 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: impressions of the coach. As you look back. Larry, it 407 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: was very very clear to all of us in that 408 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: room with him right then he was basically saying, I 409 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: trust in God, and you are the messengers of God. 410 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: You're the resources right here to carry that out. But no, 411 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: it was very very clear amongst all of us that 412 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: I trust in God and I want to be with 413 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: my men. So it was quite an experience. Yeah, it 414 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 1: really was phenomenal. Man. After I spent several hours with 415 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,120 Speaker 1: Larry Wansley, former cop and Swap team member and marine, 416 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: an FBI agent, and there's so much more you don't 417 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,120 Speaker 1: even know. He was head of security for American Airlines 418 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,479 Speaker 1: during nine to eleven. He spent most of one year 419 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: protecting Whitney Houston when she went on a European tour. 420 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: This guy has done everything, he has sacrificed for all 421 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: of us, and I'm glad he knows where I live 422 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: because I think he's got me. This is just the 423 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: beginning of the stories from this man who has played 424 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,239 Speaker 1: friend and hero to so many people that we all 425 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: root for through the years. Thank you, Larry Wansley for 426 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: telling us a story from your cowboy life.