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Dez One-On-One: A Cowboys Birthday In London

LONDON, England (105.3 THE FAN) - Dez Bryant has no intention of letting his Cowboys' busy circumstance drag him down. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"(Today) is my birthday!" a jubilant Bryant tells me. "We're gonna have some fun in London!"

What's "fun"? Bryant - on Nov. 4 now 26-years old, and as I've noted on 105.3 The Fan in recent days in connection with his switch in agents, "all grown up" - means working to win Sunday's game here in the UK at Wembley Stadium against the Jaguars.

"Getting back on track is the whole point of this trip," Dez tells me. "We've got to get this thing right. As one of the leaders of this team, it's my job to help us do that."

Dez-Play60
Dez Bryant participates in Play60 event in London (Photo by Mike Fisher, 105.3 The Fan)

Bryant is an elite receiver looking to be compensated that way with an extension that will make him a "Cowboy for Life." But that's the job of Jay-Z's team and the powerhouses of CAA.

*This week 105.3 The Fan will have details of how those negotiations will be tied with NFL star receivers AJ Green and Julio Jones.

More immediately, Dez needs to be elite on the field. He's the first to concede that hasn't happened in two straight Dallas loses as he's managed to catch passes for 30 yards or fewer in both games - a career-low mark.

It will help if his quarterback is Tony Romo (back) rather than Brandon Weeden. But Dez says he has a bond with both players and a responsibility to all of his teammates on the 6-3 Cowboys.

"I've got to be better, and that will help everybody," he says.

I ask him if what he wants for his birthday is to actually give that gift - that gift of help and leadership.

"Exactly," Bryant says. "But the present we all need (in London) is a win."

(©2014 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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