Though he’s been with the team for the better part of four months, rookie safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah didn’t really feel like a Dallas Cowboy until Wednesday, when he practiced for the first time since being drafted.
Owusu-Ansah has spent the entire off-season on the sidelines, while recovering from shoulder surgery. He was present at the team’s rookie mini-camp in May, but was limited to running sprints in the end zone.
In camp, he’s spent time studying film with secondary coaches Brett Maxie and Dave Campo in an attempt to learn the defense. On Wednesday, this preparation paid off with an unremarkable, but generally mistake-free practice.
“That shows he’s been paying attention and is a pretty smart guy,” said head coach Wade Phillips, per ESPNDallas.com.
A naturally gifted athlete, Owusu-Ansah doesn’t have any delusions about the dramatic jump in competition from division II to the NFL, which explains his very serious approach, thus far, to the mental aspect of the game.
“Everybody is fast and physical and great athletes,” Owusu-Ansah said. “The smarter I am on the field, the better football player I’ll be.”
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