There was the brawl with the Raiders. An afternoon at the beach. DeMarcus Lawrence’s broken foot. Jason Garrett accepting the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. And even a friendly visit from former receiver Terrell Owens.
But as the Cowboys broke training camp in Oxnard Friday morning and headed back to Dallas for Saturday night’s pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens, owner Jerry Jones selected a strange highlight for his team’s three-week stay in Southern California.
To Jones, the high point was a player who never practiced three consecutive days. A guy who sat out the pre-season opener against the Chargers. And who, overall, missed five of the team’s 16 camp practices.
To Jones, the highlight of training camp was quarterback Tony Romo.
“I’d say my highlight for the camp is Romo and how Romo has evolved and how he’s managed himself relative to his back, and then how he has worked with Scott Linehan,” Jones told reporters Thursday afternoon. “That combination is something that’s really is showing up out there, but it’s really hard to get the real nuances of unless you’re right in the room with them. But, boy, it’s good, and I think it’s going to really help our team.”
Obviously Romo’s health – and recovery from December back surgery – was a priority for camp. The fact that he’s suffered no physical setbacks is indeed a positive. But it’s also telling when the main positive of training camp is merely the avoidance of a negative.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
