Terrell Owens Talks Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones and WR Injuries
By Reid Hanson
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
This past weekend former Dallas Cowboy, Terrell Owens, spoke at the Moonlight and Miracles charity event in El Paso. I was lucky enough to be in attendance and take part in a short group Q&A with the much maligned former Dallas Cowboy.
Over the next 2 days I will break down Terrell Owens’ discussion. He will discuss Tony Romo, his favorite team and coach, thoughts on injuries and how QBs play a part in them, and finally the George Teague hit when TO the 49er celebrated on our beloved star.
This is Part 1 of the Terrell Owners Q&A: WR Injuries and Jerry Jones
Helmet to helmet hits and injuries in the NFL
"That’s why I have so many touchdowns because I was avoiding all those hits. I was running as fast as I could because I was trying to avoid all those hits.Going across the middle you’re going to take some licks. You’re going to take some hits. And I think some of those hits, the reason I didn’t get them was because I really had some smart quarterbacks…a lot of those plays are designed where ball placement [can help you avoid those hits]."
TO on how QBs ultimately affect WR injuries
"When I think about the top quarterbacks, I think about Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, if you see those guys when they’re throwing the football, none of their guys are getting blown up. That’s because those guys are very smart. They are not going to put their receivers in harms way. It’s all about ball placement, that’s what Steve Young, when I was introduced to the 49ers, I played in that system, it was all about precision. It was all about timing.Some of these young [QBs] they’re not being taught, they’re not really studying the game like these [other ]guys did."
Nov 3, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
TO on Jerry Jones
"Jerry is a very passionate owner. He’s the guy that’s trying to make the good decisions; he’s trying to bring another championship to Dallas. My three years there, he did everything he could. Obviously everybody’s gonna have their opinions on what’s going on in Jerry’s world. You know, I’m a fan like everyone else. You never know what to expect. I think everyone knew what has happened, what has transpired, while I was there and since I’ve been gone, and again, it obviously starts from the top down and Jerry is pretty much the shot caller, the General Manager and the Owner."
At this point I think Terrell got lost in his own mind because he was all over the place. What I surmise is that he didn’t want to say anything disparaging about Jerry Jones. Jerry always loved TO and usually when Jerry loves you, you love him right back. When TO was cut from the Cowboys, many said it was because Jason Garrett and Stephen Jones insisted upon it. Jerry begrudgingly complied. I really think TO feels a little betrayed but still genuinely likes Jerry Jones.
What is interesting is that Owens calls Jerry Jones “the shot caller”. Whenever he brought up Jerry it was as if it was Jerry Jones doing everything and no one else did a thing on the Cowboys. I may have been reading into it incorrectly but that was my impression.
We all know that Jerry is officially listed as the General Manager but many suspected Stephen Jones has really been handling those responsibilities. Owens describes the situation in Dallas as all about Jerry.
Granted, it’s been a few years since TO left Dallas and the power structure surely changed since then. Insiders at Valley Ranch have indicated Stephen has an increasing role in recent years so it’s not the same today as it was yesterday. But still – even when Owens was in Dallas, many were suggesting Stephen was more of an acting GM than Jerry was, and that Jerry was the GM in name only.
TO’s impression when he was in Dallas was quite different. In fact, in the 48 minutes he spoke to us, he never once referred to Stephen Jones or any of the front office and/or decision makers. Only Jerry and then on one occasion, Jason Garrett. Whether Stephen Jones had influence or not is almost inconsequential since TO had the perception that Jerry was the be-all, end-all on the Cowboys.
I wanted to ask as a follow-up if he thought Jerry’s omnipotence and omnipresence on the Cowboys undermined others in the organization, particularly the head coach. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to ask the question that I believe we all know the answer to.
The Terrell Owens Q&A was recorded and transcribed personally so minor human error is possible. I tried to include all relevant material and clarified when necessary.
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