1 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: A brief prologue to get you ready for the second 2 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: part of our story, because this is indeed part two 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: of our Tony Romo story that includes his wonderful relationship 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 1: with his dear friend Jason Witten. And we pick up 5 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: where we left off at the end of part one, 6 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: with undrafted rookie Tony Romo sitting on a shuttle bus 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 1: with approximately twenty rows of seats as he heads to 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: the Rookie Hotel. And then right before the bus leaves, 9 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: one more person gets on, a large man and he 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: comes and he sits down right next to Tony. They 11 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: were the only two people on the bus. And here's 12 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: how that exchange went. And he says, there, he's like 13 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: sitting down and it's like hey. He's like hey, I'm 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: like play football. I'm assuming you play football, right, you know, 15 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: we're on that shuttle bus, and you know, we were 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: the only two on the bus. He's like yeah, He's like, yeah, 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: I play football. I'm like, uh oh, position and he's 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: like tight end. I asked him, he said, you here 19 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: for the camp for the Cowboys camp. Yeah, I'm undrafting 20 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: quarterback out of Eastern Illinois. And I said, what about you? 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: You get drafted then with Dallas and he's like yeah, 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: and I'm like, yeah, I'm coming. I'm a free agent, 23 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: so I'm coming down the same thing. He's like, oh, 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: And that's when I asked him what college or so, 25 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: what college? What position? And he's like, tight end Tennessee, 26 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: now Witt And if you asked him, he'd tell you 27 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: the story. He's leaking at that time. He's like, I 28 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: was a third round pick. You probably should have known 29 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: who it was, but I was just kidding, not know 30 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: who I am. You know, I played football at Tennessee. 31 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: And he's like he's thinking in his brain, he's like, 32 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm the third round pick of the Dallas Collboys. How 33 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: the hell do you not know who I am? You know? 34 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: Kind of he's like, I played every week on CBS. 35 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: You're not watching these games everything, which I didn't. But 36 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: he's sitting there thinking that. He's like, you're nobody. You don't, 37 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: you can't. I can't believe you're here. But yeah, and 38 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: that's obviously what everybody thinks at the time, the awkward 39 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: beginning of a wonderful friendship and an all time Cowboys duo. 40 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: But that was our first time and I did he did? 41 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: He did. He was being cordially nice, but I mean 42 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: I offended him already off the right off the mat. Yeah, 43 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: but he was great. Okay, So you sat uncomfortably close 44 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: on the bus and you had no idea about this 45 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: hot shot tight end from the SEC. So what happened next? 46 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: We have practiced the next day and we go back 47 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: and it's about four or five o'clock and I'm like, 48 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: we got to eat dinner. And we see like this 49 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: little pizza places we get there cross Street or something. 50 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: So I was like, hey, I'm gonna go, you know, 51 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: probably grabbed by teet or something. You know. We got 52 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: our first football prexe next day and I said, you 53 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: want to go cross Street and just grab some pizza 54 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: or something, And He's like, grab some pizza. And I 55 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: thought to myself, like, this is the biggest weekend in 56 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: my life. Bill Parcel's first year. You know, he's gonna 57 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: set the tone. The last thing I'm gonna do is 58 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: eat a pizza. Tomorrow is like first practice in the NFL. 59 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: Like you just want to go eat pizza to night 60 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: and everything. I'm like, yeah, I mean what else do 61 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: people do? Like do they not eat dinner? The night before, 62 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: like eating or like anything. Here's Vice president of Player 63 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: Personnel Will mcclere. I remember them kind of going back 64 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: and forth and seeing the relationships, aren't you know. It 65 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: was just this perfect example of him so locked in 66 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: for tomorrow is the and my just mind frame of like, well, 67 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go out there and do well, like like 68 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: this doesn't gonna matter, or like you believe in yourself 69 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: so much. I'm like, this isn't going to actually change. 70 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: I was just a young kid naive at the time, 71 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: but in the kind of the free reeling everything is 72 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: not as serious as Witton makes it. And then Witt 73 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: and saying, hey man, there's boundaries and things that you 74 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: have to go through and winning is the most important thing, 75 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: and helping Tony realize that. I think that's how the 76 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: you know, the relationship and the marriage so to speak work. 77 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: They just always had a cool little bond and he 78 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: was always the guy that Romo could go to Sackmon 79 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: Winding whenever you felt like there was a sketchy situation, 80 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: and so that bond just built over the years, and 81 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: so they just kept working on him, and so they 82 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: showed up from practice and they showed up from games. 83 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: I think we all have that friend, the one who 84 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: is so different than us in so many ways, But 85 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: oddly we were drawn to each other despite those differences. 86 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: Maybe it ends up being a respect for your difference. 87 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: This thing I don't know. Oh and that last new 88 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: voice was Andre Girard. We're almost center for more than 89 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: five years and one of Tony's favorite teammates. But I 90 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: do have one more question. Did he eat pizza or not? No, 91 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: he didn't. He talked me out of it. It was 92 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: too important of it. Next day he made it feels 93 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: so bad. I was like, I guess, I guess we're 94 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: gonna eat chicken and broccoli tonight and we're gonna go 95 00:04:50,680 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: to bed at four or seven pm. And so it began. 96 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: An undrafted kid QB from the Midwest who nobody knew, 97 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: and a herald had tied in from the Mighty SEC. 98 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: They find a bond. We started to build a relationship. 99 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: And first it was just kind of like we're greenness 100 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: can be, we're trying to survive out here. But then 101 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: it became like, hey, what did you think of that 102 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: play or what would you have done on that player? 103 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: You know, when things started unfold the key bonding point. 104 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: Both men were Jim rats who constantly wanted to get better, 105 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: both physically and mentally. Romo watched, listened, and learned. Witten 106 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: was quickly in the mix because his talents were too 107 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,119 Speaker 1: visible to everyone to delay getting him on the field 108 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: any longer. You know, Jason was like married at a 109 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: very young age, and so he was grown up and mature, 110 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: and you know, I was just a kid, didn't even 111 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: know any different. Jason Witten came to the Cowboys married 112 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: to his high school sweetheart Michelle, and as Tony said, 113 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: they were already grown ups, kind and in love and 114 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: starting a family. Tony was young and wide eyed and 115 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: cocky in a likable way and ready for the world. 116 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: Only he had no idea what the world, much less Dallas, 117 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: where the NFL actually had in store for him. So 118 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: lots of nights that kid ended up at the Witten's 119 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: on the sofa for sleepovers. Michelle was like a pseudo 120 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: mom at the times. Yeah, yeah, I was probably that 121 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: guy to be honest with. Yeah, I just looking for 122 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: a friend. I was like, I know, I'm an undrafted 123 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: free agent. Anybody like me? Anybody care? Now? Michelle Michelle was. 124 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: You know, they were great. We'd watched The Bachelor over 125 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: at their house, I can remember, and just Michelle would, yeah, 126 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: lay blanket on you, and I'd wake up on the 127 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: couch the next day and be like, all right, let's 128 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,119 Speaker 1: go to practice. I remember young Tony. I was playing 129 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: some golf with him in his first few years. He 130 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: was a kid who couldn't compete enough basketball, golf, football, 131 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: anything to compete all the time. But the cool party 132 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: is Whitten, who as a wife is hanging out with 133 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: Romo and they are developing this thing. The reason we 134 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: became so close is because neither one of us can lose. 135 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: Like I'll spend eighty two straight hours trying to figure 136 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: this one thing out, and if I felt like this 137 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: could give me an advantage, I will spend all day, 138 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: all morning, all night. Like just I can't take not 139 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: being good enough, I guess you could say. But also 140 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: just I want to figure it out so that way 141 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: I can overcome whatever around you is not allowing you 142 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: to succeed, I guess you could say. And Jason's you know, 143 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: the connection happened because Jason has the same competitive drive 144 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: that he can't take it if he's failing and he 145 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: will give you everything he has and we're the same 146 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: way with that, and that was really the connection early on. 147 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: It was just that he could see my work ethic, 148 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: I could see his, and it was just weirdly in 149 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: a position like these two guys, if you had two people, 150 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: were like, they're gonna die before they don't figure this out. 151 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: That's where it started. So Romo and Witton are bonding, 152 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: but on the field at practice, Romo is the third 153 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: string quarterback behind Quincy and then Vinnie Testa Ferdy and 154 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: then the next year behind Drew Bledsoe. If you look 155 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: at Cowboy's depth charts from two thousand and four to 156 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: two thousand and five, he's way down here and Witten 157 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: that can't keep him off the field. Here's Romo on Jason. 158 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: As long as Jason Witten ever had anybody around that 159 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: was any good, you couldn't double him unless you made 160 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: a serious decision to change your defense, and they would 161 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: do it in key situations. But when they did that, 162 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: that means everybody else is one on one. That's how 163 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: good Jason was. He really made other people so much 164 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: better because Jason's why option it was unguardable one on one. 165 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,839 Speaker 1: He was too good with leverage, but he would make 166 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: a guy feel so much that he's going this way, 167 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: and then he would use that guy's as soon as 168 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: he felt that guy's leverage in any capacity. It's a 169 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: really special gift to run the route correctly. But even 170 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: deeper than that, Witten had this sixth cents where he 171 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: just could feel the leverage of where that weight of 172 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: the defender is, and wherever it was, he would use 173 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: it against him and then he would get open. So 174 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: Witton is playing from the get go. You couldn't keep 175 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: him off the field. He developed why option under Bill 176 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: Parcels in his first year and it began to take 177 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: on a life of its own. Originally, a why option 178 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: was called sixty two Winston and it was just a 179 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: twelve yard hook route. When Jason Garrett came in and 180 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: took over the offense, it was changed to why option. 181 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: But that's just semantics. Here's a part of that closeness 182 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: that you know about. You know who really made why 183 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: option the unguardable thing. It was for seventeen years, Witton 184 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: and Romo together in a film room, taking this simple 185 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: play and adding nuances to it together. You heard the 186 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,079 Speaker 1: detail that Romo gave and explaining it because it was 187 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: a collaboration of young teammates. So when Romo finally got 188 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: a shot in O six, these two were ready. My 189 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: job was just to throw to him. But my key 190 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: at my position was that I could see what he 191 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: was going to do before he did it. And so 192 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: when I saw the leverage of the player, I knew 193 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: it wasn't really his route I was looking at it. 194 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: I was looking at the defensive player and how he 195 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: was trying to cover him, and it was over. I mean, 196 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: as soon as I saw the leverage every time, it 197 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: was like, I know what Witten's going to do, and 198 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: I trusted him to make the same decision that I 199 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: was seeing and he did. He did because of the 200 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: amount of time these two young men on a veteran 201 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: Cowboys team spent in a dark film room wanting to 202 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 1: be great. But we know Witten got tons of first 203 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: team practice from the beginning. Romo was the third string, 204 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 1: getting scout team reps at best. Why was he so 205 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: ready for all this from his spot on the bench. 206 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: Here's Tony's dad, Romero, with a peek behind that curtain. 207 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: Everybody meets out to where the speed of the NFL 208 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: game is can sometimes be overwhelming, especially to quarterbacks. To 209 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: process information, to know where to go to do this 210 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 1: and all that you know is really hard. And you 211 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: see that. You know, these guys come in and struggle. 212 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: And Tony shared with us one things, Dad, You know, 213 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: I got to practice with parcels one day. We were 214 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: going full board padded practice and some of the guys 215 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: were having problems. I never had that problem. That The 216 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: speed never bothered me was a't bit. I was like, uh, 217 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: that's a good thing. The ability to process information was uncanny. 218 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: It takes certain gifts for an NFL quarterback to be special. 219 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: Big hands so you can really spin the football when 220 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,439 Speaker 1: you throw it, a fearless nature about all the men 221 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: around you that want to kill you. But tops among 222 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: the gifts that make NFL quarterbacks stand out the ability 223 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: to see what's in front of you and process all 224 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: of it in a fast, calm manner. Then you make 225 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: your decision and a few have it, and so it's like, weirdly, 226 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: our instincts and the way we saw it just aligned. 227 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: And that's why you know he's going to finish his 228 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: career with you know, top three five and the history 229 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: of the NFL in reception's top two tight ends in 230 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: the history of the NFRS. I mean, just crazy, crazy 231 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: numbers when we look at it, the NFL team's dream 232 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: of Beast connections, these scenarios Montana to Rice Manning to 233 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: Marvin Harrison, stop Walk to Pearson. These duos elevate franchises 234 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: all by themselves. So my question is, prior to two 235 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: thousand and six and Romo finally getting on the field, 236 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: how did he get better? I think what brought him 237 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: together is a competitive spirit. You know, I was coaching 238 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: the arena team when we met to Antonio was a rookie. 239 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: He would come in there, you know, they'd be in 240 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: OTAs or whatever, and so after that he wasn't getting 241 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: a lot of reps. He would come into arena ball, 242 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: into our practices. He knew nothing about it. I was 243 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: coaching defense, and he'd be like, hey, let me throw 244 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: the ball. I just want to throw the ball rout 245 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: And you know, you'd see his competitive spirit, and I 246 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: saw him figure out the arena game very quickly. So 247 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: there was the basketball kind of point guard in him. 248 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: Because the ball had to be distributed quick and all 249 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: those things, and he figured it out really quickly, and 250 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: he wanted to come compete and used to piss me 251 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: off because he used to sting us defensively, So I 252 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: was trying to find a way to get him so 253 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: you could see that competitive spirit. Well, Witten would also 254 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: come out there and hang out when Romo was out there, 255 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: and they'd be you know, he'd be talking trash to 256 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: the guys. The wisdom of Witton to also know to hey, 257 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: let this guy's pretty good, let me get on his 258 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: good side. And you know, they established a connection. He 259 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: got the ball and they became great friends. So I 260 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: think it's the dominant personalities that both of them brought 261 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: them together. So Romo would go wherever there was a 262 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: place for him to get some reps. Will McClay was 263 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,839 Speaker 1: cutting his teeth in the Arena League and he got 264 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: a close look. But isn't it interesting that Whitton was 265 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: still hanging out with Tony. But as Will said, Jason 266 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: knew his guy was going to be the Cowboys QB 267 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: long before the rest of us had a clue. Jason 268 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: was literally as beloved teammate, especially early on anybody, because 269 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: he was so genuine and nice, and he did everything right. 270 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: You know, the first one I had to walk through, 271 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: the first one there in the morning, you know, the 272 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: hardest worker in the weight room. But he was also 273 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: nice to everybody, and he could connect with everyone. And 274 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: at that time, he wasn't trying to be this perfect 275 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: leader or do anything that you would say, like you 276 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: know you do as you get older, like we all 277 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: want to be this great leader for this team to yeah, 278 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: an examples up at that time, it's just who he 279 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: was now. He was the same guy. Later, it was 280 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: just now he had people who were trying to emulate him, 281 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: and he needed to bring you know, the same as me. 282 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: It's like you needed to bring your teammates along to 283 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: do things the right way. Early on, it was just 284 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: very you know, just the way he did everything was 285 00:14:53,560 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: so correct. Everyone just you know, they wanted to they 286 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: liked him. Jason Witten, as you may have surmised, was 287 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: one of the most perfect football players ever. Honestly, he 288 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: was nice, mature, grown up, respectful, hard working, a hard ass, 289 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: and supremely talented. And when you combine all of that 290 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: with his physical attributes and his discipline, well he was 291 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: going to be an all time grade, and he is. 292 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: He stands nineteenth all time in receiving yards, not for 293 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: tight ends for everyone. Who else were you thinking about 294 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: for tight ends? Maybe Rob Gronkowski eighty fifth and Tonio 295 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 1: Gates twenty ninth and so on. How about old time 296 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: catch leaders witness fourth for anyone who ever caught a pass, 297 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: not just tight ends for everyone, Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, 298 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: Tony Gonzalez, and Jason Witten. And that's it. He played 299 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: two hundred and seventy one games, a record for tight ends. 300 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: And here is more from his buddy Romo. Well, Jason 301 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: was so good from so such a young age that 302 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: he played a position that if we lost, he didn't lose. 303 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: In other words, he plays tight end, and he's so 304 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: good at that, I mean, as good as anybody's ever walked. 305 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: And so if we ever failed as a team, no 306 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: one's ever pointing a finger at Jason for a reason 307 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: we lost, so very seldom did Jason ever lose the 308 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: individual battles. And then on top of it, he only 309 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: helped your team have a chance to win. So if 310 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: you had a Jason Witten and your team, I mean 311 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: I would argue there was never a time on a 312 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: Monday we came in and was like, Jason kind of 313 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: cost us that one. I mean that that never happened. 314 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: He was a big reason why we literally had an 315 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: opportunity to win a lot of games. Tony, you were 316 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: best friends. Why was Witt too good? Bill was very 317 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: tough on him. And it's funny because as I got 318 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: older and saw a million different coaches, Bill was probably 319 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: the toughest on Jason that any coach would ever be. 320 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: But it also kind of set a base for Jason 321 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: of a standard of excellence. I guess you could say 322 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: that he kind of held himself too based on what 323 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: Bill would say. Bill treated Jason like, oh, you're everybody's 324 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: all American. You know, You're just the golden boy, you 325 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: know kind of thing, And I think it really helped 326 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: Jason from perspective of there's just another level, and there's 327 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:29,880 Speaker 1: another level, and you would never feel satisfied. And that's 328 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: a great thing for a young player because Jason's so 329 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: good so early, I mean right away, he was a 330 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 1: dominant player in the National Football League and he wasn't 331 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: even starting his rookie year. But year two he's in 332 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: the Pro Bowl, before there was a draft. You could 333 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: sized up a cowboy by three simple factors, the crease 334 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: at his hat, the bend of his brim, and his 335 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from 336 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: what life through at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. 337 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,239 Speaker 1: Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here 338 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of all self 339 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the 340 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest Jewitt Stetson 341 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: dot com, slash Cowboys. 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He developed players Romo. 369 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: He held out until year number three because he just 370 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: didn't want to get him crushed he was from Eastern Illinois. 371 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,959 Speaker 1: For goodness sake, he hadn't ever even seen athletes like 372 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: those in the NFL. Witton was from the SEC. He 373 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: was much more seasoned for what the physicality in the 374 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: SPEEDI League was going to look like. And Parcels handled 375 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: both of them differently and perfectly. So Witten came on quickly, 376 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: and you were making progress behind the scenes. Now that 377 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: I'm older, I kind of see the signs are very 378 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: similar in anything you do in life. But I just 379 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: knew I was getting better and improving, and I felt 380 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: very bad I wasn't good enough soon enough, soon enough. Now, granted, 381 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: I just started really playing football a couple of years 382 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: before then, So it's like I've softened when when I've 383 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: gotten older, because I'm like, I just know the progression 384 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 1: of what it takes to really be an elite player 385 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: at a very professional high level in anything, and it 386 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 1: just takes reps, experience, and then it takes a dogmatic 387 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: approach and almost a practice that's so finite that you 388 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: start practicing really technical things that others aren't. There's fun 389 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: amount for each little individual you know situation in football 390 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: in the NFL. You can look out there as a 391 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: player and especially as a quarterback, and it sort of 392 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,439 Speaker 1: looks like Star Wars. There's a lot going on. But 393 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: Tony made an impact in his first season, and the 394 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: Cowboys went to the playoffs and were winning. They were 395 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: going to win a playoff game in Seattle. Romo put 396 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: the team in front of the goal post for short 397 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: field goal to win. He was the holder too. It 398 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,880 Speaker 1: was outdoors in Seattle, and it was cold, and if 399 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: you have ever put your hands on an NFL football, 400 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 1: they are huge and hard. And when the snap came 401 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: to him for a simple field goal that he had 402 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:34,119 Speaker 1: executed thousands of times, he dropped the snap. The Cowboys 403 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 1: lost twenty one to twenty and the bloom was off 404 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 1: the rose for Romo and for Parcels in Dallas, who 405 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: took the loss so hard he decided to quit. I 406 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: felt bad for Bill because he was retiring, because he 407 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: knows he had an opportunity to get similar now. I 408 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: really don't think I was good enough to overcome the 409 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: next game or two at that time. I just know 410 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: my abilities weren't to what they would become. But I 411 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: go into his office with Jason and I said, coach, 412 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: you have to stay. He's like, now, guys, you're gonna 413 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: be fine. It's gonna be great. Enjoy coaching media. Da 414 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: da da da. I said, you don't understand. I'm gonna 415 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: be way better next year than I am. Now, I 416 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: promise you over the next six months, I'm gonna like 417 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: that deliberate practice I just talked about. It's like, I 418 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: feel bad that I let you down, but I can 419 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 1: promise you I'm going to be a different player going forward. 420 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 1: Trust me, you want to stick around, you know. And 421 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 1: I'm trying to talk him into it, and I just 422 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: you know, I had that belief, but I also knew 423 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: practice wise, I do it a hair different than other people. 424 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: So Romo was trying to get Nvince Parcels not to 425 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: quit stay. He said, please, because I'm just beginning to 426 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: understand what it takes, and I know how I will 427 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: approach getting better because in his entire football life to 428 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: this point, he always has got better. Here for a 429 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: mere Romo, during Tony's all of his born life, my 430 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: wife and I would have ten games we'd go and 431 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:16,880 Speaker 1: watch him play. We'd see him and he'd lose and 432 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: didn't play very well. Come back in a car, we'd 433 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: drive back home. He said, well, you got to learn 434 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:24,719 Speaker 1: from this, you know, if you want to get if 435 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: you want to get better. M but you know, what 436 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: did you look at yourself? Did you try your hardest? 437 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: Did you try to do your best? You know? And 438 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: he wouldn't answer, but he would, he would look inside 439 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 1: himself on stuff like that, and my wife and I 440 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: would look, Ah, he played well, he did good. I mean, 441 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: that's as good as he can be. You know, he 442 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: can't be any better. Wrong, next week we go back, 443 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: same situation, another level. Every time he had suffered through 444 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 1: a defeat or a failure or something, he went to 445 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,440 Speaker 1: another level. He went to another level. Well, it took 446 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: Tony a couple more years to get to a level 447 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: of excellence like Witten, but Parcel thought he needed those years, 448 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: and obviously Tony all these years later, agrees, but he 449 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: got there. So back to Romo and Witton trying to 450 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:22,159 Speaker 1: convince Big Bill to stay, and he literally looked at 451 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 1: me and he kind of smelled a little bit because 452 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: he knew I was like talking his language. And that's 453 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: part of what would bring him back, is knowing we'd 454 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 1: win for sure. But I don't think he was one 455 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: certain I think he thought he got the best out 456 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 1: of our team. Maybe he could, and he's like, it's 457 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:40,879 Speaker 1: gonna be so hard to get our team back to 458 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: that level. And I wanted him to know him like, 459 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be you working this art. It's like, 460 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,719 Speaker 1: I'm gonna improve, I promise you. I'm sorry, I'll let 461 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: you down. I think he kind of like inside, I 462 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: think he likes that because he's like, that's who he is. 463 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: He wants the ball, he wants to be competitive, he 464 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: wants it to matter, he wants it to enter to you. 465 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: And that that's also why I connected with him the 466 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: same way with Jason, and he's just like, I understand 467 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: what you're saying. I think you're gonna be just fine, Tony. 468 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: But he said, but I'm done. Just it's time. Bill 469 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: Parcels never lasted anywhere very long, like Jimmy Johnson before him, 470 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: about five years is the point of boredom and frustration. 471 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: It's all that they can really take, intense head coaches 472 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,479 Speaker 1: like that, and it's often all that an organization can 473 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: take as well, Coaches like Parcels, where everyone around them 474 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:35,400 Speaker 1: out so intense, so demanding, so perfection driven, and so 475 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: arrogant even coach. While he was retiring, you'd think he 476 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: would be overly positive because he's leaving, so now he's 477 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: gonna be like, guys, you're gonna be the best you're 478 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: gonna be. But even when leaving, he still would be 479 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: He's still, like the winner said, He's like, listen now, Jason, 480 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: if you don't get these false starts in line, I mean, 481 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: this is gonna be like really difficult, Like he can't 482 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: become the player going to be if you're not. This 483 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: guy's two three time pro bowler already hit at them. 484 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: And he's like, and Tony, you need to la la 485 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: la la. And it's like, all right, coach, well we 486 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: love you, but I think it is time for you 487 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: to leave now that we're actually having no He was 488 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,919 Speaker 1: so good that it was. We tried to talk him 489 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: into it, but he would never stop coaching. Even when 490 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: he stopped coaching. I personally loved covering the Bill Parcels Cowboys. 491 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: Bill was fun for us, not for the players, but 492 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: fun for us in the media, But we could also 493 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: see the toll it took on him. His body. He 494 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: went from thinner to heavier. His attitude went from sort 495 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: of fun to sort of miserable. The truth is he 496 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: was miserable a good portion of the time, and he 497 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: made everyone working for him miserable too. We were at 498 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: the press conference when all of us knew he was done. 499 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 1: You know, I think we were a little inconsistent from 500 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:58,439 Speaker 1: time to time, but I mean, I know we have 501 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: a better team, competitive lead than what we had in 502 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: the past. I know that Fellas I'm not into the 503 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 1: state of a year. He after one of these games, 504 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: come on, did the best I could? Okay, wasn't quite 505 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:18,160 Speaker 1: good enough. And with that we all knew that as 506 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: fast as the big Tuna arrived in Dallas, he was 507 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 1: now swimming out. In his first year, he used Quincy 508 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: Carter at quarterback and made the playoffs pretty amazing. Two 509 00:27:27,119 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 1: years later, the defense had been made the way he 510 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: wanted it to look, and by the end of OH 511 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,120 Speaker 1: five you could see the Cowboys under parcels were on 512 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:37,199 Speaker 1: the rise. In OZ six, Romo's era began and they 513 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: made the playoffs again, but they lost, and Bill was 514 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: gone onto Wade Phillips, who the fans turned on very 515 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 1: quickly because he was too nice. There's a scapegoat the media. 516 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: The fans people need to find something and if something 517 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: is just there that they see and they don't like, 518 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,400 Speaker 1: that's what it's going to happen. I mean, whether it's 519 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,719 Speaker 1: the quarterback, the head coach, there's only four or five 520 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: guys you can pick on the owner. So Wade's personality 521 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: was an easy thing because he wouldn't say it coming 522 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: from a parcels the exact same way where it was demanding. 523 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: Everyone wants demanding. The reality is that, like you know, 524 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: the soft spoken coach is everybody as demanding sometimes as 525 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 1: the guy who says it really loudly and aggressively. It 526 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,439 Speaker 1: just doesn't show to the general public always. I mean 527 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: Tony Dungee is a soft spoken in front. He'd sit 528 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 1: and wait for everyone to stop talking. But they won. 529 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: And if you win, well now you knew what to do. 530 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: You're smart, you're great. It's just different personalities have been 531 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: around forever in the NFL, whether it's quarterback or head coach. 532 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: You can win many different ways. You have to be 533 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: yourself and at the end of it, if you do 534 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 1: it perfectly from a media perspective and a fan perspective, 535 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: you just get longer time. If you're losing, if you're 536 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: not perfect at all those things. Your leash, I believe, 537 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: is shorter when things aren't going as well. And that's 538 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: really just what happened in some ways, is things weren't 539 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: going that