Greg Ellis Signs with Oakland Raiders

Greg Ellis was released by the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month and has now found a new team with the Silver and Black.

The former NFL Comeback Player of the Year has signed a three-year deal, of which the salary is unknown. He will now play defensive end for the Oakland Raiders on a line that desperately needs a pass rush, since it had only 32 sacks last season, with a individual high of five.

Greg Ellis was released by the Cowboys due to his age and his unhappiness.

Want more? Check it out at:

http://www.nfltouchdown.com/greg-ellis-signs-with-oakland-raiders/

Jerry’s Plan Worked; No News is Great News!

Jerry Jones has been ridiculed lately for many things. Three years ago, it was for signing Terrell Owens. Two years ago it was for hiring Wade Phillips as a Head Coach when he had never won a playoff game.

However, last year and these past few months he was extremely ridiculed.

He first had Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones join the Cowboys which just led to a lot of negative press, especially with Pacman. Then they are cut and Owens was released. “What?!” was the reaction for most people.

Want more? Check it out here: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/jerrys-plan-worked-no-news-is-great-news/

Roger Staubach to Present Bob Hayes at Hall of Fame

The 2009 Season was a disappointing one for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans when it comes down to leaving the great Texas Stadium as winners, going to the Super Bowl, winning the Super Bowl, and being acknowledged for what we truly are.

The best of the best.

However, we as fans should not mourn this season but rejoice because one of our forgotten heroes will now be joining the best of the best where he belongs.

‘Bullet’ Bob Hayes is going to be inducted in the Professional Football Hall of Fame this upcoming August. He is the only man to have both an Olympic Gold and a Super Bowl ring, and he was commonly known as the fastest man on Earth.

And who better to present Hayes than the quarterback who made the Cowboys world champions? Cowboys Hall of Famer Roger Staubach will be presenting Hayes at his Hall of Fame induction.

See more at: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/roger-staubach-to-present-bob-hayes-to-the-hall-of-fame/

NFL Legends: Dick Butkus

NFL Legends is back! After a long hiatus, I’m finally inducted one of the NFL’s most legendary figures into the NFL Legends Hall of Fame.

After my good friend, Angel Navedo, left a post on my board saying that I needed to get back in the game, I turned off the TV, iPOD, and any other miscellaneous distractions and decided to finish an article I had started long ago.

Now, unplug your phones, turn off those cells, and refrain from any other activities while Professor Williamson tells you the story of Dick Butkus.

 

 

The Chicago Bears are not just one of the oldest teams, but they are also the team with the most players in the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Many of those members are definitely in the top 10 of their positions.

 

However, the purpose of this tribute to the Chicago Bears was to find out who was the best. The absolute best, not just one of the best. The answer came to me when I was talking to my father.

 

My father was born in Chicago, and he instilled in this Texan, a love for all Chicago teams. I asked him about linebackers one day, and if I remember correctly, the question was: “Who was the best middle linebacker ever?”

 

He said, “Butkus.”

 

“Bupkis?” I asked.

 

“No. Butkus. Dick Butkus.”

 

I was stunned at how fast he said it. Usually my father always debates in his mind about these kinds of things. Yet, he said this in less than ten seconds.

 

For my father to be that certain about such a question, I knew Dick Butkus had to be special.

 

I decided to see if I could find any highlights of him on the web. After I watched a clip of him in action, I became—for the first time—frightened of a player.

 

I had seen Jack Lambert without his teeth. I had seen Deacon Jones’s head slapping people. I had seen Lawrence Taylor threaten to kick a quarterback’s “f—— a–!!!”

 

His words, not mine. 

 

But I was never afraid of them. At least not in the way I was of Butkus. There was something about him in that dark blue uniform with the No. 51 on it.

 

Center, Bill Curry, of the Packers and Colts said, “Before you could begin to try to block on Dick, you had to overcome the mystique. And uh, he didn’t appreciate this, but I said it was almost like an odor. He exuded a kind of a presence.”

 

Why do I feel like I’m in a horror movie all of a sudden?

 

That No. 51 scared me more than all my exes and a Doberman Pincher combined. Jack Lambert was a kitten compared to this guy.

 

What am I saying?

 

No, the whole Steel Curtain was a basketful of mewing kittens compared to this guy!

 

Dick Butkus is, without a doubt in my mind, the greatest middle linebacker to ever play the game of football.

 

I listened to these interviews of NFL alumni and they all had something great to say about Dick Butkus.

 

In his nine-year career he only played on two winning teams. A lot of people give up and only do a so-so job, but Butkus never gave up. No matter how bad the team’s record was, he never lowered his standards.

 

Running back and former NFL Head Coach Dan Reeves said, “He tried to hurt you. You know, he was just so competitive, you know, not only did he not want you to gain a yard, he didn’t want you to gain an inch. You know, as soon as you had that football, you were the enemy.”

 

NFL coaches love players like that, because they know they can count on them no matter what the situation is.

 

He also could intimidate you as well. Not only did he have that “mystique” Curry mentioned, he also grunted and growled.

 

Head Coach Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys remembered one particular game against Butkus. “We had a rookie center, uh, that was playing against him for the first time. And of course you remember Butkus grunted a lot, growled a lot, when he was backing up the line.

 

“We sent this rookie center in to play for us. And the first time he came off, his eyes were about like this (makes very big circles with his hands), and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Butkus. Butkus had him intimidated and he hadn’t even blocked him yet.”

 

Grunting and growling, hmmmm…that sounds like a bear all right.

 

Deacon Jones would agree, “He was an animal. And he was a well-conditioned animal. And every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital.”

 

Green Bay running back Paul Hornung: “Dick didn’t just tackle you. He made just textbook tackles, but he didn’t just tackle you. He engulfed you.”

 

Dick Butkus came into the NFL as the third overall pick of the 1965 draft. He was the best linebacker out of Illinois and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1963. He finished third the following year.

 

It was a given that George Halas, owner of the Bears, was going to draft Butkus. Both were from the same school, first generation Americans, and both were natives of Chicago.

 

Yet, I don’t think that even Halas knew what Butkus would become after he drafted him.

 

Butkus was also drafted one pick before his fellow Hall of Famer, Gale Sayers. The back to back rookies became legends in Chicago. And while neither one ever won a Super Bowl ring, they are better than a lot of those who do have them.

 

Dick Butkus played only nine seasons, due to knee injuries. He was elected to the Pro Bowl eight times, All-Pro eight times, and his statistics are amazing.

 

He recorded 1020 tackles, 22 interceptions, 27 fumble recoveries, and if sacks were counted then, he’d have a ton of those, too.

 

This man was a beast on the field. He did all that in nine seasons, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

 

Despite all of the praise, it meant nothing to him.

 

His roommate Ed O’Bradovich gave a lot of insight into Butkus’s personality and ability. Not only was Butkus big, he was also fast.

 

“For Dick to run a 100 dash, it would take him three days. But I wanna tell you something,” continued O’Bradovich. “From that middle linebacker, 20 yards this way, 20 yards that way, and 20 yards that way, I mean nobody, nobody was quicker than he was.”

 

Okay. Imagine a fast, ravaging, animal-like, being chasing you. Has anyone started crying? Because I have.

 

O’Bradovich also said, “His whole damn life was football. Forget about it. It wasn’t driving a pretty car, it wasn’t going to the local bar, pounding your chest and say, ‘I’m the greatest,’ it was the opposite.”

 

What makes Butkus great is that he did it all without help. The Bears only posted two winning seasons with him, and that takes its toll on morale. When morale is low, you are going to decrease in results—maybe not put everything in that game.

 

Butkus was the opposite.

 

It was almost like the worse it got, the more ferocious and vicious he got. According to Ray Mansfield, a Pittsburgh center, Butkus knocked out L.C. Greenwood on a punt.

 

L.C. Greenwood was one of the best defensive linemen in the 1970s and a member of the Steel Curtain.

 

You have tackles, but with Butkus, there was no such thing.

 

Dan Abramowicz said, “Dick was not satisfied with just an ordinary tackle. He had to hit you, pick you up, drive you, and grind you into the ground.”

 

Ok. If I was a halfback, the Bears would be getting a safety after I run all the way back to my own end zone and out of the stadium to get away from this lunatic!

 

Doug Buffone, Butkus’s fellow linebacker and Chicago Bears radio analyst, remembered a time where the Bears were playing the Lions. There were 10 seconds left and Butkus called a timeout.

 

Now everybody is thinking, ‘Huh?’

 

As it turns out, Butkus called the timeout so he could get another chance to run full force and hit somebody.

 

When we think of NFL rivalries, what rivalries come immediately to mind?

 

The Redskins vs. the Cowboys, the Patriots vs. the Colts, and the Bears vs. the Packers are the most known.

 

But Butkus had his own rivalry.

 

He didn’t like the Packers, but he hated the Detroit Lions. Every time they played each other, Butkus unleashed pain, terror, and made it his personal job to beat the living daylights out of them.

 

Forget the tigers, Dorothy; you got Lions and Bears to worry about at those games.

 

Doug Buffone and Ed O’Bradovich recalled a time that should be Butkus’s defining moment as a player and a teammate.

 

“(Lions Tight End) Charlie Sanders tried to make a necklace out of my teeth,” said Buffone. “I mean he just hit me so hard, cracked me all the way across there (makes a motion with his finger tracing his top front teeth).

 

“I’m back in the huddle, I’m bleeding like a pig and Dick looks at me, ‘What happened?!’ I said, ‘What do you think happened?’”

 

“Then a few plays later,” added O’Bradovich, “Charlie Sanders went over the middle; Dick had him and caught him right in the chest, right in the head, and leveled him.”

 

Charlie Sanders also remembers it very well. “The hit was so hard that I actually didn’t feel it… I think he hit me so hard it actually numbed me.”

 

Butkus’s knee injuries kept him from doing what he loved.

 

He filed a lawsuit against the Bears because he believed they kept him on the field knowing he was injured, but didn’t want one of their main attractions missing from the field.

 

The Bears also would not let him, or other players, get a second opinion from a doctor outside the Bears organization.

 

This monster on the field had his heart broken when he was told he couldn’t play football.

 

Butkus settled for $600,000 and his relationship with the Bears, namely George Halas, was injured.

 

Despite his tragic retirement, he has been quite happy after his football life. He did some broadcasting, acting, advertising, worked in the XFL, and is still revered by all those who know his name.

 

The Butkus award was named in his honor and is given to the best collegiate linebacker. In 2008, the award was expanded to the high school and professional levels to help end steroid abuse by athletes.

 

I’m proud to say the first NFL winner of the Butkus award is my current favorite player, DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys.

 

To have that kind of award named after you, you have to be the best. No question about it.

 

I don’t think Butkus is the best middle linebacker, I know he is.

 

Ray Lewis can’t touch Butkus. Jack Lambert can’t touch Butkus. Willie Lanier can’t touch Butkus. Chuck Bednarik can’t touch Butkus.

 

No one can and no one ever will.

 

We shall conclude with the words of another one of the NFL’s most feared men of all time.

 

Deacon Jones: “Well the only thing I can say about the great Dick Butkus—I’ll say it in a poem. Roses are red and violets are blue, if you got any sense, you’ll keep Butkus away from you.”

Dallas Cowboys’ Practice Dome Collapsed; 12 People Injured

Earlier today, the Dallas Cowboys rookie training camp suffered a severe weather tragedy.

The bubble/roof of the indoor practice facility collapsed due to severe storms and high winds causing the roof and lights to shake, which led to the roof caving in.

Twenty-seven players were working out along with around 50 other people ranging from the press to coaches to Cowboy staff members.

“I saw it coming down and didn’t have time to react,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “I hit the ground and was able to get back up.”

Ten people were taken by emergency vehicles while two left on their power.

Special teams coach, Joe DeCamillis, was severely hurt. He was removed on a stretcher wearing a neck brace.

The other names have not been reported, out of respect to their privacy.

Thankfully, no one is in mortal danger. “This worked out very, very well from a medical point of view,” said Dr. Paul Pepe, head of emergency medical services for Dallas County. “Right now, I think we don’t have anybody who is in a life-threatening situation.”

“We’re lucky no one got electrocuted with all the water in the building,” head coach Wade Phillips said. “A couple of players had minor injuries, but they were all right.”

What is most remarkable is the bravery shown by the young rookies. Many were still wearing helmets, and could easily have gotten away, but stayed to help rescue crews.

Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com had an interesting account.

Eatman was on his way out when something knocked him down, and then he heard a voice screaming for aid. It was Todd Archer of The Dallas Morning News. Archer was trapped under some rubble and Eatman along with Josh Ellis, another writer from DallasCowboys.com, tried to get Archer out.

However, they couldn’t lift the crashed debris off of him. “It was like a car,” Eatman said.

Then, outside linebacker Jason Williams and safety DeAngelo Smith came to the rescue. The two men lifted the wreckage up, just enough, for Archer to crawl out.

All I saw was blue jerseys,” said Archer, “I was trapped, I couldn’t move. Then those guys lifted it up—not very far, but I was able to move from my side to my back. …Once I got out of there, I looked back and the whole thing was down.”

The storm had wins measuring at around 64 MPH when it hit. A weak tornado has, at a minimum, 65 MPH winds.

Start praying if you haven’t already for these people, and to those who are already, keep praying.

More to come soon.

Breaking News: Dallas Cowboys Indoor Training Bubble Collapses, Four Injured

The Dallas Cowboys training facility, which held their rookie camp, collapsed due to serious thunderstorms and heavy winds.

Four people were injured as a result.

Irving, Texas fire and rescue workers have reported that everyone has been accounted for, but they are still checking debris and rubble. Many players were still wearing helmets at the time, and helped rescue a reporter that had been trapped under debris while rain came down.

A coach is receiving treatment for head trauma, but the other three injured people are unknown. It is not known if they are players, coaches, or just workers.

The roof of the building collapsed first, after it started to tremble and light fixtures were shaking. It was an air-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a 100-yard field.

More to come later.

Start praying to whoever you believe in.

Dallas Draft Gives Hope In Numbers

Imagine the pain of waiting.

It is a pain like no other because it is not a physical pain, but a mental one.

The pain of waiting to get her alone so you can ask her out.

The pain of waiting for your 16th birthday so you can get your car.

Whoever said “patience is a virtue,” should have had their jaw wired.

However, no pain can compare to what this writer went through last Saturday. It was a pain that is agonizing, tormenting, deadlier than an angry woman, and happens once a year.

I was waiting for the draft results.

Except this time instead of being in front of a computer or a television, I was stuck in a van, going to a football game in Round Rock, Texas, listening to rap music (how can we comprehend people whol talk that fast!?), trying to remember the draft order in my head, and waiting.

I was waiting for the words, “the Dallas Cowboys are on the clock.”

Unfortunately, they never came.

I heard about Cleveland trading the No. 5 pick. I heard the news about Mark Sanchez being drafted by the Jets. I heard Aaron Curry was passed over by the Chiefs and went to the Seahawks instead.

My wonderful father was texting me the results as they came to him, but he had no news about the Dallas Cowboys. I came home at four o’clock in the morning (it is a very long trip), and I still had no news.

Apparently the Cowboys had traded their second round pick away because Max Unger, center from the University of Oregon, had been drafted two selections earlier by the Seattle Seahawks.

The “duck” that they targeted had gone to the city of rain. Life is just full of irony isn’t it?

However, the Cowboys were busy bees the next day, collecting plenty of nectar with 12 draft choices.

The main question is whether or not they will produce any honey?

Lets go over every draft pick from the first guy to the last guy.

With the 69th Pick, the Cowboys Selected Outside Linebacker, Jason Williams, From Western Illinois.

This guy was a pure beast in college. He had 14 forced fumbles with 42.5 stops from behind the line of scrimmage. Very underrated, very physical, has a lot of potential.

To me, a defensive player can be molded out of any round. He just needs good coaching, a brain, and a want to get better. If this guy pays attention to Wade Phillips, he could contend for a spot against Anthony Spencer whenever Greg Ellis decides to retire or leave.

Williams was chosen because he was the best available, and the Cowboys want depth at all positions in case something happens during the season.

With the 75th Pick, the Cowboys Selected Offensive Tackle, Robert Brewster, From Ball State.

Ball State was very good last year, especially with their quarterback, and for a quarterback to succeed, he needs linemen—plain and simple.

Brewster has no chance of starting because the Cowboys already have a good offensive line. His main purpose will be depth and injury replacement, which was the Cowboys’ downfall last year.

Starting left guard Kyle Kosier was hurt for the majority of the year, and Cory Proctor could only do so much. The Cowboys need effective linemen that can come in if injuries happen.

With the Top Pick in the Fourth Round, 101st Overall, the Cowboys Select Quarterback Stephen McGee From Texas A&M.

Aggie fans rejoice! Your quarterback is staying home in Texas.

McGee is a good player. In fact, Mike Sherman (A&M’s head coach and former coach to Brett Favre) says that he has potential to be a player in this league.

This pick puzzled me because the Cowboys already traded for Jon Kitna to be the backup quarterback, and a third quarterback is just going to take a roster spot away.

My thinking tells me that Jerry Jones wants a young guy who can come in if Romo gets hurt, and if Kitna is not up to par. Insurance for the insurance to put it bluntly.

This kid was just at the wrong school. A&M was battling three teams that could have gone to the National Championship, how much can you expect from him?

That’s like asking a high school team to beat the Arizona Cardinals. It can’t be done.

I’ve got my fingers crossed and a bible set aside for this young man.

With the 110th and the 120th picks in the Draft, the Cowboys Selected Defensive Ends, Victor Butler and Brandon Williams, From Oregon State and Texas Tech.

Both sack specialists for their teams. Butler was a major part of the Oregon State upset of USC.

These guys are probably going to convert to outside linebackers to add further depth since they are only around 250 pounds.

With the 143rd Pick, the Cowboys Selected Cornerback, DeAngelo Smith, From Cincinnati.

I like this guy. I really like this guy. I think with a lot of work and coaching, he can be a star in this league. Cornerbacks are like receivers, a dime a dozen, so him being selected in the fifth round means nothing.

He has trouble with mental decisions, takes a few risks, and is not the most physical player, but those flaws can be trained.

He may not be the fastest guy (4.57 forty time), but he can double as a return guy or free safety and is very good in a zone defense (another slight problem since he is only so-so in other defenses), but what I like most about this guy is his dedication.

I would rather have a guy with dedication than a guy who is slightly better, but lacks that hunger. This guy wants to improve and talks with his actions, because he works hard.

I think he has a lot of potential with Dallas since they are low on cornerbacks and Jones’ philosophy is “you can never have too many cornerbacks.”

With the 166th Pick, the Cowboys Selected Free Safety, Michael Hamlin (No Relation to Ken Hamlin), Out of Clemson.

I think this guy can develop into a good player and hopefully will light a fire under Ken Hamlin, who only had one interception last year.

The guy is a great tackler, blocker if necessary, has natural hands, and great timing with his jump.

So why was he selected in the fifth round?

He runs a 4.62 forty time and has had problems with injuries. The lack of blazing safety speed and the unknown of whether or not he’ll be able to play hurt his stock severely.

However, it is a fifth round pick and he has talent, so why not roll the dice?

With the 172nd Pick, the Cowboys Selected David Buehler, Placekicker, from the University of Southern California.

I cannot stand Pete Carroll, but he makes some of the best players in football. This guy was a steal.

Yes, we have Nick Folk, but how many times do you remember him getting a touchback last year?

If you remember one, then you are either mistaken or a liar because Nick Folk did not have one touchback last year.

The Cowboys are weakest on special teams, so the easiest way to fix that problem is to keep them off the field with touchbacks.

“On 180 kickoffs, 105 of them (58.3 percent) have pinned opponents within the 20-yard line, with 69 resulting in touchbacks (38.3 percent).” Source: NFL.com.

1/3 of his kicks go into the endzone? That’s amazing! The only thing more amazing is the guy himself. He ran a 4.62 forty time and had 25 bench reps of 225 pounds.

That is more than Michael Oher, Max Unger (the duck that got away), and Eugene Monroe. Three of the top offensive linemen in the draft lift less than this guy.

He is an incredible athlete with football in his blood; his uncle won a Super Bowl with the Raiders as a guard.

He has played fullback, linebacker, and strong safety. He is not some half-pint kicker like Nate Kaeding—he is a football player.

If Folk stays with Dallas, this guy will handle kickoffs and Folk will work field goals. That does mean giving up another roster spot for a second kicker, but I think he is worth it.

He is the most likely guy to start this year without question.

With the 197th Pick, the Cowboys Selected Strong Safety, Stephen Hodge, From Texas Christian University.

He’s a puzzle to me because he reminds me of Roy Williams too much. He is a safety, but he played linebacker, mainly on blitzes while in college. The guy does not look like a great cover guy, and makes mental mistakes.

I think this guy is only a special teams player if he even makes the team.

With the 208th Pick in the Draft, the Cowboys Selected Tight End, John Phillips, From Virginia.

For those of you who are confused, I will make it simple; he is not going to catch passes. Our third string tight end, Tony Curtis, just signed with the Chiefs a few weeks ago, so there was a hole for a blocking tight end on the goal line.

This is a very good blocker and that is it.

With the 227th Pick, the Cowboys Selected Cornerback, Mike Mickens, Out of Cincinnati.

This guy is either a bust or a star. He pulled out of the Senior Bowl and combine because of a hurt knee.

He has very few flaws like a stiff body in backpedaling, so he should have been a high draft pick. The injury is what really hurt him, both figuratively and literally.

He is the perfect seventh round pick because it is a throw away pick, so better to gamble than to waste.

With the 229th pick, the Cowboys selected wide receiver, Manuel Johnson, from Oklahoma.

Good football player, but a medium athlete. Not very tall, elusive, or fast. He could improve or not. It is the seventh round, so it is up to him on whether or not he does well. Teams cut seventh rounders every other day.

All in all, the Cowboys looked toward depth and special teams. If these guys make the team, they will be on special teams.

The Cowboys hired Joe DeCamillis as the new special team coach and he should be able to take these guys far hopefully.

 

The Cowboys have made a successful draft at getting what they needed.

Now it is up to the team to make Dallas winners again.

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