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Despite Embarassing Moments, Dez Still Ahead Of The Curve

I believe Dez Bryant embarrasses himself when he becomes animated and emotional on the sidelines. If I was his Father or mentor I would attempt to convince him to be more composed. But when it comes to how that applies to the Cowboys it's not a problem for two reasons.

The first reason is Dez controls his emotions where they matter most.  He doesn't get stupid penalties (most of the time), he doesn't attack teammates or throw them under the bus, and he doesn't break the law. If having a childish temper tantrum over suffering one of the worst losses in franchise history is his worst crime, he should be saluted not lectured.

The second reason is the maturity of everybody around Dez. The Cowboys coaching staff and players accept Dez for who he is. It's actually really cool to see them get a chuckle out of his post TD antics and Ultimate Warrior routine. And when he has gone over the edge they've been there to try to calm him down.  It's a bit inspiring how they react with love and acceptance instead of scorn.  And one day he might be inclined to thank them for their patience.

They get it. He's a work in progress with a big heart who's having a difficult time controlling his emotions,  not because he makes a conscious decision to act like a lunatic, but because his childhood conditioned him to react to stressful situations with outbursts.

Dez's natural compass is pretty strong but his background betrays him sometimes.

The buzz surrounding the cap slapping incident 16 months ago suggested the person most responsible for his upbringing, attempted to forcibly remove him from the home he was renting for her, so she could hang out with her friends that he didn't approve of.  It's highly likely he was in the right but took the high and quiet road to prevent his own mom from getting another charge of filing a false report, something that peppers her record.

I'm more impressed with his ability to overcome his past than his inability to seamlessly transition into the corporate work environment the NFL has become. Bryant shows restraint more often than not where it matters most   The only thing that makes him lose it is when they lose. I'd say he's operating in the upper percentiles of not only NFL players but all humans that are dealt such an unfortunate hand.

And there is just one more thing. If you see me beer me!

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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