Playing for ‘America’s Team’: The relentless pressure of life as a Dallas Cowboy.
When you think of the Dallas Cowboys, names such as Deion Sanders, Troy Aikman, Emmett Smith, and Michael Irvin all enter the mind. Unfortunately, though, they all share one thing in common with the franchise and its owner, Jerry Jones.
The Hall of Famers all played for Dallas’ final Super Bowl winning squad in 1995, which continued their reign that decade following additional victories in 1992 and 1993. With five Super Bowl victories, the Cowboys rank as the second-most successful NFL franchise; yet, they have not won a championship in nearly thirty years.
With Dak Prescott playing the best football of his life, Micah Parsons again in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb breaking records this season, everyone is aware that this year is their best chance to end the 28-year wait. There is also added pressure with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn being headhunted for a head coaching role elsewhere, so failure to lift the Lombardi Trophy this season could dramatically extend their current drought.
With every losing season, the current Cowboys players feel more and more pressure because of the past and the extra burden of representing “America’s Team.” Jason Bell experienced exactly that when he signed with the Cowboys in 2001; he was not selected in the draft but developed a unique relationship with the owner.
“Darren Woodson and Emmett Smith were there when I walked in. Larry Allen was present, along with players who had played on that squad and won Super Bowls. Bell said to Mirror Sport, “So you felt that greatness.” “I recall Michael Irvin commenting about how amazed he was by these folks when he entered the locker room.
“So for a young person, I understood how to go about my business because they were there. How to prepare, how to be a professional. So that was great. That helped me throughout my career. But you do look at those trophies and you come in and you think, ‘I’m a Cowboy. I’ve made it, we’re great.’ But we hadn’t done anything, so we weren’t going to just get wins because they had Super Bowl trophies on the wall and because I was playing with Emmett Smith.”
Due to Hall of Famers coming to the end of their time in Dallas, they were undergoing a transition and Bell admits that he only made the team due to a lack of cap space. “They had a lot of things going on when I was there with salary caps because they were still paying Troy Aikman and Deion Sanders, and I think Michael Irvin. So they didn’t have a lot of money. That’s how I made the team luckily enough.”
Bell moved to the Houston Texans after a solo year in Dallas, and it was only then he realised the difference between wearing a Cowboys uniform and any other jersey in the NFL. “Every time you play for that star, you know the pressure’s on because everybody’s watching,” he added.
“Everybody watches the Dallas Cowboys. When I was playing there, everybody knew I was in the NFL. But when I went to Houston and then for the majority of my career some people were like, ‘Hey, where do you play again? Do you still play in the NFL?’ It was a difference because everybody watched the Cowboys. It’s the benefit of playing there.
“The NFL benefits greatly when Dallas plays well. However, the national media always has this conversation when Dallas isn’t performing well. It is a requirement of playing in Dallas and is established at the highest levels of ownership.”
Jones hasn’t always been the most popular owner and offended Cowboys supporters straight at the outset of his reign by sacking head coach Tom Landry in 1989 on his very first day. Jones has assumed command of the entire company, serving as its owner, president, and general manager. He has even delegated future duties to his son.
Bell believes Jones’ attention to detail and obsession with the Cowboys was what made them successful, and his impact has not only taken Dallas to new heights but also the NFL. “I saw a lot of people have relationships with him. A lot of guys I knew could go right into his office and ask him questions or if they had concerns, go talk to him directly. And that was cool,” Bell said.
“That doesn’t happen everywhere. That was very unique. He’s one of the only owners you call ‘Jerry’ as a lot of owners are ‘Mr. This or Mr. That’ but it was just ‘Jerry.’ He was one of the guys. I just really appreciate what Jerry Jones has done for the NFL. He has stood up on that mantle and always made sure you were talking about the Cowboys, always made sure you were talking about a storyline in the NFL and the growth of the game only comes because of pioneers like that.”
Over 20 years have passed since Bell was with the Cowboys, but he’s certain that the owner is still the same old ‘Jerry’ and has sustained the culture within the organisation. “I think he’s aware of everything. I could see Jerry being involved in everything and knowing everything that was going on. He seems to really enjoy it,” Bell added.
“That passion he has for the game is what makes the Dallas Cowboys ‘America’s Team’. When you have an owner that is invested like Jerry Jones was, it was comforting and you could tell that he just cared and he was willing to spend and do whatever needed.”
The rich history may be important for the Cowboys brand, but it doesn’t impact how the team plays moving forward, and in some cases, it can actually hinder progression due to the pressure. Bell believes this is finally their time to go all the way, and it could be the most memorable yet with the Super Bowl being held in Las Vegas for the first time.
“It is their time. Mike McCarthy has had success in the regular season, they have a good record. Dak Prescott is playing his best football ever, this defence can get after you. They have one of the best players in the National Football League, Micah Parsons, so it feels like this is it for them.
“They have to go far in the playoffs and they definitely have to be one game away from the Super Bowl. If it’s anything less than that, there is a problem in Dallas.” Bell is also aware that DC Dan Quinn could leave the franchise in the offseason, someone who consistently leads one of the best defences in the league.
“You saw this happen in Philadelphia. Why are they struggling? They lost both their coordinators and you see the impact on the way they’re performing,” Bell explained. “So that would be a significant factor for the Cowboys if they lost Dan Quinn and that entire staff on the defensive side, because they’re gonna go with him.
Thus, Dallas is fortunate to have two head coaches and two play callers on staff at the moment. Since they can assist one another while the game is in progress, game management is important. That would be very concerning. They should take advantage of the fact that they are currently in high demand because of this.”
On January 14, the postseason gets underway at home against the No. 7-seeded Green Bay Packers, who are going through their first postseason without Aaron Rodgers since the early 2000s. Even though Packers quarterback Jordan Love finished the season with a lot of momentum, the Cowboys would consider themselves unsuccessful if they didn’t make it to the Super Bowl.
Since winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, it will be considered a failure. Even though Jordan Love is now playing some of his finest football, they still need to win that game against the Packers, Bell stated. “I think Dallas is a better team, but they’re going to test your secondary, so you better go out there and identify and get ready for all these young receivers and Jordan Love.” Thus, it ought to be highly captivating.
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