During Cowboys camp Sunday, rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant broke a rookie tradition by refusing to carry the shoulder pads of veteran wide receiver Roy Williams, who is in a competition for playing time with Bryant, ironically enough. “I’m not doing it,” Bryant said. “I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player’s pads. … I’m saying that out of no disrespect to (anyone).”
Monday afternoon, Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued his summer-long journey of exercising his first amendment rights (i.e. his interview with Homer). When asked by one of his followers via Twitter, “Dez Bryant won’t carry teammates pads when told too. What would you say to a rookie who won’t do what a vet tells him to do?” Rodgers responded, “I’d tell him he needs to pay his dues n fall in line.”
By: Justin Mertes-Mistretta
Rodger’s continued in multiple tweets saying, “Every rookie gets hazed. There should be a rite of passage. Picking up some dinner bills, having a few pranks pulled on you and doing some odd jobs for the vets is a small price to pay to gain respect. No ones gonna get taped to a goalpost in Green Bay or get beat up, but young guys should show some respect to the older guys and being a good rookie means keeping quiet n being in the right place at the right time n showing respect to the vets as long as it’s appropriate”
Do you think Rodgers is out of line to give his opinion on the Bryant situation? Comment below.
Read more articles by Justin Mertes-Mistretta here or follow him on Twitter at MertesMist_TSB.
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Considering every other current and former player has said pretty much the same thing, Rodgers is right. It’s not about pure humiliation; it’s about following the path of every one of your teammates and bonding through that shared experience. That’s just the way NFL players work; light hazing is part of the welcoming process.
I HATE TWITTER spelling and punctuation. there’s so much shit in there, I have instincts to clean it up, but I know all you’re doing is copying and pasting Tweets, so I know it’s not you- it’s them!
And I think hazing is funny, and you yeah everyone needs to pay their dues. it’s funny when it doesn’t happen to you. but in hazing at school was just retarded. Frats just don’t work as a concpet for me. pay a shitload of money to have someone else pick your friends, and let your future “friends” that are slightly older than you, treat you like dogshit first.
NO WAY.
And that’s the one thing that TRULY SUCKS about my alma mater- WAY TOO many frats and sorority slags
I agree that Rodgers has the right to give his opinion, especially since someone asked him on Twitter. In no way is that out of line. However, I don’t agree with his opinion. I just don’t think it’s black and white in Bryant’s case. I think if it were Tony Romo or Wade Phillips, one of the leaders, asking for a “rookie favor,” then I think Bryant would be in the wrong. However, as far as I know, Roy Williams is not considered a leader. Considering the way he played last year and the fact that this is only his second off-season with the team, Bryant shouldn’t have to take orders from him just because he’s a rookie. On top of all that, Bryant is battling Roy Williams for a starting spot right now and sources in the Cowboys organization are saying that Bryant is flat out better. So, why would he take orders from a guy who he might be replacing?
The only red flag I could see popping up for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys is the worry that, since Bryant does have character issues, this might be the start of a prima dona attitude that will destroy the team, ala Terrell Owens, but if it turns to just be this one isolated incident, then I love Bryant for this.
The fact that Bryant is a rookie is exactly why he should be taking orders from Williams. Their (eventual) place on the depth chart or talent have nothing to do with respecting veterans. I don’t think this will be a problem for the team once they get on the field, but what could potentially be more destructive: a rookie carrying a veteran’s pads (regardless of potential/talent) or a rookie only having to listen to the five best players on the team and is given a free pass against the other 47 players?
What goes on on the field has nothing to do with this situation, and Williams has actually been very supportive of Bryant and his talent. The bottom line is that on every NFL team, rookies are expected to earn their stripes and show some respect for every veteran. It really doesn’t matter who the veteran is; the only reason it involves Williams is because they play the same position. It’s the same situation for every other position.
It really doesn’t make sense to me why Dez would push back against something he had to know was going to happen. As Williams said, he’s going to get hazed. Bryant just chose to forego the easy route and take on a worse punishment. as well as unneeded coverage and discussion of a non-football issue on an already overcovered team.
Personally, I just don’t agree with the whole rookie hazing thing. I think it’s stupid and I don’t think Dez Bryant is disrespectful for thinking the same. Just cause he won’t be a push over and carry a player’s pads doesn’t mean he isn’t earning his stripes. I think he earns his strips on the football field.
And shouldn’t be a Cowboys player calling him out? why should someone on another team do it? I’m sure Dallas fans agree with me
In the event that the Cowboys loose this Sunday in Houston, I believe Coach Phillips deserves to get sacked by Jerry Jones.