Tag: Randy Gregory

Dallas sits down with Alabama DE Terrell Lewis ahead of draft

The Dallas Cowboys have shown interest in Alabama defender Terrell Lewis.

Most of the Cowboys draft needs are direct results of this years free agency period, where Dallas lost at least four starters on defense. While the Cowboys were able to find suitable replacements at safety and defensive tackle, finding a pass rushers to replace Robert Quinn’s double-digit sack numbers  hasn’t been as easy.

The Cowboys still have the upcoming NFL Draft to help round out the roster, and reports suggest that Dallas is trying to learn all they can about Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis.

Lewis, at 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds is an athletic, intriguing prospect for teams who offers a high reward but comes with some risks as well. After missing most of his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa with ACL and upper arm injuries, Lewis was finally able to stay on the field for most of the 2019 season, where he racked up six sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and earned Second Team All-SEC honors.

The durability questions mean Lewis is available after the first round in most experts’ mock drafts. It seems unlikely the Cowboys would consider the Alabama defensive end at pick 17, however, Dallas’ second selection (pick 51) is right in line with Lewis’ draft projections.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic writes:

“A one-year starter at Alabama, Lewis played Sam outside linebacker in head coach Nick Saban’s 3-4 base scheme, rushing from both a two- and three- point stance. He missed almost all of the 2017 and 2018 seasons due to injuries, but stayed on the field in 2019 and reminded everyone of his freakish tools. Different than most Alabama pass rushers under Saban, Lewis has the long frame and sudden athleticism to disrupt the pocket. However, his play motor is better than his instincts and he must introduce more variety and shed strength into his rush plan. Overall, Lewis is still unrefined with his setup and feel as an upfield player, but he is long, rangy and explosive with similar upside as Danielle Hunter when he entered the league, projecting as an impact NFL pass rusher if he reaches his potential and stays healthy.”

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

“The evaluation requires both projection and a small leap of faith due to durability concerns after he missed most of two full seasons. He needs to fill out his long, athletic build with more girth and muscle to help set stronger edges and hold his ground against downhill rushing attacks. He’s played in just 26 games, so he’s less technically sound than most Alabama defenders at this stage, but he was still productive and showed growth as a player in-season. With more coaching and development as a rusher, he should be able to pair traits with skill to become a future NFL starter, provided his health issues are in the past.”

Currently, Demarcus Lawrence is the lone standout defensive end on the Cowboys roster. Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory are exciting to think about, but until the league rules on each of their reinstatement efforts, Dallas can’t rely on the two.

Of course, this years draft offer challenges no draft has before. Due to the ongoing pandemic, teams were unable to meet with prospects face-to-face in the last month, meaning it’s unlikely that the Cowboys preferred doctor could examine Lewis before the draft. This uncertainty may scare away some teams from using the high draft capital it will most likely take to acquire the talented pass rusher.

The Cowboys will have to weigh the pros and cons before ultimately deciding if Lewis’ upside is worth a shot, but it’s clear he has the talent and frame to make a career for himself in the NFL.

[lawrence-related id=643553]

[vertical-gallery id=643386][lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys News: Drafting QB possible, Blake Jarwin ready to ball out

Also, the team talks to backup QBs, more support for a Jamal Adams trade, Henry Ruggs interviews, and Roger Staubach’s final comeback win.

The Cowboys’ new tight end is ready to step up and show the lessons learned under a recently-departed legend. And a former superstar receiver is ready to step up and show that he’s not quite done building his legend yet… but a budding talent at the position may be ready to step up and steal some of the spotlight.

That’s a lot of stepping up. We’ll also take a step back to look at why the Raiders took a chance on Jason Witten, relive the final comeback in the career of Captain America, and wonder what the 2020 season might look like in empty stadiums. Plus, an energized Mike McCarthy is ready to get back to work. So are Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory, though they’ll all have to wait a while longer. That and more is ahead in this edition of Cowboys News and Notes.

Blake Jarwin eager to show what he learned in Jason Witten’s shadow :: ESPN

The fourth-year tight end isn’t allowed in the team facility, so he’s working on his game using decidedly old-school methods. And he talks about his old-school mindset to the starting role, one he learned from the 16-year veteran he just replaced.

Raiders’ Mike Mayock explains decision to sign Jason Witten, but final stint with Cowboys casts some doubt :: CBS Sports

As the Raiders look to create a new team culture in the Las Vegas desert, their GM describes their newly-signed 37-year-old tight end as “the quintessential culture guy.” But given Witten’s decline in Dallas over his last four seasons, what he’ll bring to the actual playing field for the silver and black falls into more of a gray area.

Is ex-Cowboy Dez Bryant ready to make his NFL comeback? The trainer of star wide receivers thinks so :: Dallas Morning News

David Robinson has been training wide receivers for 15 years. Robinson talks about how Dez Bryant is different these days and says he’s “about 80-90 percent where he needs to be” for a return to the NFL.

Reinstatement delayed: Cowboys won’t know Gregory, Smith fate pre-draft :: Cowboys Wire

Dallas could be fielding a new version of the Doomsday defense if Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith are both reinstated by the league, as the club expects. But it hasn’t happened yet, and it won’t happen before draft weekend. That uncertainty may color the team’s decisions once they find themselves on the clock.

Why a trade for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams suddenly makes sense for the Dallas Cowboys :: Blogging the Boys

This, of course, is well-covered ground. But the unrealistic pipe dream from last season is gaining traction as a viable option that makes a ton of sense.

Mike McCarthy rejuvenated in return to coaching with Cowboys :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

He spent his off-year working from home, getting ready for a coaching comeback. Now the new Cowboys skipper is having to work from home again due to coronavirus restrictions, but Mike McCarthy says his mind “is flying 100 miles an hour” as he prepares for the upcoming season.

Report: Playing in empty stadiums is a possibility for NFL’s 2020 season :: Cowboys Wire

The league has reportedly been working on contingency plans for playing on this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic, although it could mean a shortened season, sequestering teams in hotels, or even playing in empty stadiums.

Doc of the Day: Roger Staubach’s Last Rally :: The Mothership

In what turned out to be his final NFL win, Captain Comeback lived up to his nickname with a pair of touchdown passes in the final five minutes to stun the Redskins in the 1979 regular season finale. Enjoy this mini-movie exploring what Staubach called “absolutely the most thrilling sixty minutes I ever spent on a football field.”

[vertical-gallery id=642979][vertical-gallery id=642587][lawrence-newsletter]

Reinstatement Delayed: Cowboys won’t know Gregory, Smith fate pre-draft

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t make a big splash when it came to filling the void left after the departure of defensive end Robert Quinn in free agency. In 2019, the club traded a sixth-round pick for the former Rams and Dolphins star, and in turn got a …

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t make a big splash when it came to filling the void left after the departure of defensive end Robert Quinn in free agency. In 2019, the club traded a sixth-round pick for the former Rams and Dolphins star, and in turn got a team-leading 11.5 sacks as he crushed through some of the most double-teams of any edge rusher in the league. It earned the elder statesman a five-year, $70 million deal with the Chicago Bears and left a hole in Dallas’ defensive line.

Instead of going big at end, the Cowboys shored up the interior, inking Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe. On the edge, the team will rely on the return of Tyrone Crawford after an injury-plagued year and hope that the new CBA which removed failed marijuana testing from the suspension track will mean the reinstatement of Randy Gregory. The team also signed Aldon Smith, who is also indefinitely suspended. The team expects both to be reinstated by the beginning of the league year, but if there’s any trepidation in their availability, the team will have to make a draft move. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, the team will not hear from the NFL league offices about either of the petitioned reinstatements.

There’s no way the Cowboys can proceed with a plan to have either as an integral cog in their rotation; there’s simply too much history with both regardless of relaxed league rules. Smith’s suspensions have had to do with arrests, and although he’s come through a serious rehab stint, he’s a single violation away from another indefinite suspension, if not lifetime ban. Even with their long-term uncertainty though, having both in the fold would still have an impact on the team’s draft plans even it neither would preclude a high-pedigree expenditure along the line.

[vertical-gallery id=642979][vertical-gallery id=642587][lawrence-newsletter]

19 times the Dallas Cowboys took risks on troubled players

The Dallas Cowboys signed Aldon Smith on April 1, another chapter in the book of risky signings by the franchise.

There the word trouble and you can spell it with a capital T when it comes to Texas and the Dallas Cowboys. America’s team has been a magnet for players with questionable resumes. Signing Aldon Smith is the latest risk Jerry Jones is taking in hopes of a huge reward.

Josh Brent

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

On Dec. 8, 2012, Josh Brent flipped his car on the Texas State Highway 114 at 2:21 a.m. while driving under the influence, killing his passenger, college and Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown. Brent announced his retirement on July 18, 2013, to focus on his off-the-field issues pertaining to the charges of intoxicated manslaughter. After serving his punishment in prison and going through a rehabilitation process, he was reinstated by the NFL following a 10-game suspension. On Nov. 11, 2014, he was activated from the team’s reserve/suspended list. His troubles with the law have continued long after his NFL career.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14, Page 15, Page 16, Page 17, Page 18, Page 19

Cowboys ink DE Aldon Smith to 1-year, $2M deal with incentives

The Dallas Cowboys are apparently in the reclamation business once again. While the team is waiting to get defensive end Randy Gregory back from a second year-long suspension, the team is still working to augment the edge spot opposite DeMarcus …

The Dallas Cowboys are apparently in the reclamation business once again. While the team is waiting to get defensive end Randy Gregory back from a second year-long suspension, the team is still working to augment the edge spot opposite DeMarcus Lawrence. While big names are being floated about and the possibility of a high-end draft pick coming aboard are very serious, the club still is looking to protect themselves in things don’t fall their way.

To that end, the team has agreed to terms with defensive end Aldon Smith. Yes, that Aldon Smith. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer broke the news.

Smith, 30, will have to be reinstated by the league, but it appears the Cowboys believe that is an inevitability. He has not played in the NFL since 2015 but notched 42 sacks in his first three seasons. He will reunite with his defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, who was brought in to coach under Mike Nolan on Mike McCarthy’s new staff.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-5, 255 pound edge rusher was an absolute terror when he broke into the league in 2011, posting 14 sacks as a rookie for San Francisco. He followed that up with a 19.5 sack campaign in 2012, however after a fast start to 2013, things went downhill in a hurry.

In between those seasons though, Smith was stabbed while trying to break up a fight at his home where two people were shot.

In 2013, Smith was in a car accident and was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and marijuana possession. Soon after he checked himself into a rehab facility and was out for the next five games. He finished his 11-game season with 8.5 sacks.

In 2014 he was arrested at LAX for an alleged bomb threat but charges were dropped after it was determined he didn’t make one.

Two more DUI arrests followed, bookending a nine-game suspension for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy and he was released by San Francisco in 2015.

He played a few games for Oakland in 2015, but was suspended indefinitely. Unable to get himself back on track, he applied for reinstatement but still sat out the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2017 there were domestic violence allegations and he was arrested in both 2018 and 2019 for violations of a stay-away order and then again for driving under the influence.

[vertical-gallery id=642436][vertical-gallery id=642328]

 

Notorious Randy Gregory soon to get one more big chance with Cowboys

Could Randy Gregory contribute to the Dallas Cowboys next season?

Randy Gregory has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons so far as a Cowboy. The talented defensive end has been given chance after chance by Dallas, and it appears the Cowboys are ready to give him one last shot. Once the NFL does.

Gregory has plans to officially submit his petition for reinstatement to the league soon; a move that has been in the works for some weeks now. This will be Gregory’s second reinstatement request since July, however, the Cowboys seem more optimistic about this attempt than ever before. With the club so far looking thin in pass rushers opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, Gregory’s addition wouldn’t be a cure-all, but would certainly help the defensive end rotation in Dallas.

The Morning News’ David Moore claims, “the expectation at The Star is that the defensive end will again have an opportunity to live into the promise that prompted the Cowboys to select him in the second round of the 2015 draft.” After recapping the myriad run-ins with the league’s substance abuse policy and contrasting it with the organizations unwillingness to consider also-suspended David Irving, Moore finalizes things with “Still, the club is ready to welcome him back.”

The Cowboys positivity echoes Gregory’s own. Gregory spoke to CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker about his latest fight to get back in the league, where the much-maligned defensive end gave his thoughts on the situation; “I will be back this year,” he would tell Walker, “Difference is, I’ll be back for good this time.”

Gregory’s newest reinstatement effort comes on the heels of a major rule change in the NFL.

When the latest CBA was agreed upon by the majority of players on March 15, many changes were enacted, but one in particular would greatly benefit the Florida native. The league has significantly changed it’s stance on marijuana, making a positive test result in mental health checks instead of fines and suspensions.

One could say Gregory’s short professional football career has been an uphill battle.

After falling in the draft because of failed drug tests for marijuana at Nebraska, the trend would quickly follow him to the NFL. The former Cornhuskers’ six missed or failed tests resulted in him being suspended for 46 games in his five years in Dallas, while only playing in 28.

Gregory’s best year in Dallas was 2018, where he recorded six sacks. Unfortunately, after his six sack campaign, he would fail another test, landing him another indefinite suspension and putting him in the position he is in today.

Considering the league office no longer punishes people for what the Cowboy edge-rusher is currently suspended for, it seems unlikely Roger Goodell and co. would deny his most recent request. Despite those facts, and the Cowboys optimism, the team looks at Gregory like a luxury.

Gregory would be a pleasant addition to the roster, but the Cowboys don’t want to be forced to count on the, so far, unreliable 27-year-old.

If reinstated in a timely fashion, Gregory would rejoin a Dallas defensive line that can use all the talent it can get. The loss of Robert Quinn to the Bears early in free agency has pushed pass rushers to the top of the Cowboys needs. Dorance Armstrong, Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks are all behind DeMarcus Lawrence on the depth chart, but none of those players have shown the pass rushing prowess that Dallas knows Gregory possesses.

This may be starting to feel like déjà vu for Cowboys fans, but with the reinstatement coming after the new CBA changes, there is serious hope Gregory can turn a second reinstatement into a worthwhile NFL career.

[vertical-gallery id=642002][lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Cowboys Randy Gregory filing for reinstatement ahead of CBA

Former Cowboy Randy Gregory filed for reinstatement into the NFL again on Friday, February 28, 2020

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory, who was suspended for the entire 2019 season, has reportedly filed for reinstatement into the NFL, once again. Jean-Jacques Taylor revealed Friday morning on 103.3 that the 27-year-old was submitting the necessary paperwork for the 3rd time in his short career. Looking to take advantage of the expected lowering of marijuana testing and punishment schedules from the coming collective bargaining agreement.

During his time in Dallas, the former Cornhusker showed flashes of why he was a top prospect out of the University of Nebraska and a valued commodity for the Cowboys. In 2018 Gregory finished second on the team with six sacks while only starting one game.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, the emerging star couldn’t build on his productive season. Gregory found himself back in familiar situation in February of 2019 when he was suspended again for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and the terms of his original reinstatement.

Gregory initially fail three different drug tests in 2016, all marijuana related. The failure’s resulted in multiple suspensions, including a year-long suspension for the 2017 season. This led to the first time the Dallas defender requested reinstatement, and the request was granted in July of 2018.

Gregory has cited medical issues including anxiety for his use of the substance.

Gregory applied for reinstatement this past July, but nothing ever came of it. The NFL never publicly denied or accepted the last reinstatement effort, but the silence was an obvious rejection from Goodell and company. Players have to maintain a clean testing record and adhere to other treatment guidelines to earn reinstatement under the current policy.

Just seven months later the 2015 second-round pick is giving it another shot.

Cowboys management isn’t getting ahead of themselves, Taylor implied on ESPN Dallas radio (103.3FM) this morning. According to Taylor, team sources aren’t focused on the situation until and only if Gregory is reinstated.

With a number of defensive lineman set to become free agents, it is not ridiculous to think that if the talented Indiana native was reinstated he could make an immediate impact for the Cowboys in 2020.

Click to listen to the entire segment from Jean-Jacques Taylor on Gregory.

[vertical-gallery id=640098][vertical-gallery id=639104][lawrence-newsletter]

 

News: Randy Gregory may have way back thanks to Raiders, Witten explores options

Also, the Cowboys will keep terminology for Dak Prescott, Jamal Adams may stay with the Jets, and the Raiders’ move may impact NFL policy.

Say, say, say… Super Bowl Week means lots of talk leading up to the big game. And even though they’re not playing on Sunday, the Cowboys have been a hot topic among the media in Miami.

Jason Witten says he still wants to play, even if it’s not in Dallas. Dak Prescott will be saying many of the same things in the huddle in 2020. One of this year’s Super Bowl quarterbacks had great things to say about Tony Romo back when he entered the league. Jamal Adams says he’s planning on staying with the Jets. The Cowboys’ new secondary coach says he wants “ballhawks.” And an unlikely supporter is the latest to say that Drew Pearson’s exclusion from Canton is “a shame.”

Here’s what they all had to say, in this edition of News and Notes.

Jason Witten hopes to continue playing for Cowboys, but says ‘all options are on the table’ :: The Athletic

The 37-year-old tight end looked to many fans as if he had lost more than a few steps last season, but Jason Witten may not be quite ready to hang up his cleats and retire a second time. In fact, he sounds like someone gearing up for yet another season in pursuit of a Super Bowl… but will it be as a Dallas Cowboy?

“We’ll see how it plays out, but yeah, I’m putting myself in position to go play and evaluating what that looks like,” Witten is quoted as saying. “I hope so [it’s with the Cowboys]. But I realize I’m a free agent, too, in March. Any time a new staff comes together, I’ve played a long time, so I realize that may mean somewhere else, too. That’s just part of the business. I’ll continue to communicate and see where it unfolds.”

The future Hall of Famer says he’s had a good visit with new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and has been “in constant communication” with Jerry and Stephen Jones in the Dallas front office. But Witten’s longstanding relationship with new Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett bears monitoring and has already fueled speculation of a possible move to New York.

–TB

Dak Prescott: Mike McCarthy’s decision to keep Cowboys’ terminology the same is ‘huge’ :: USA Today

With so many changes on tap for 2020, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is relieved that one thing that will reportedly stay the same is the vocabulary he uses when calling plays in the huddle.

“It’s huge,” Prescott told Jori Epstein in Miami. “That’s big. I mean, that’s one of the biggest things when you talk about a quarterback, when you talk about leading an offense. Because if the terminology stays the same, that lessens that learning curve, that gap of, ‘I’ve got to learn that before I can teach it.’ Well, now I know that, so I can go straight to teaching.”

Click the link for more of what Prescott said, including his thoughts on what his teammates think of all the talk regrading his contract status with the team.

–TB

Cowboys have found gold (jackets) at No. 17 :: The Mothership

Could Dallas strike gold with the 17th pick in the upcoming draft? It’s happened before. Of the four previous times the club has made the selection in that spot, two of the players chosen have gone on to find themselves enshrined in Canton. Not a bad ratio.

Granted, Emmitt Smith and Mel Renfro leave pretty big shoes for an incoming rookie to fill. But the other two 17th-overall picks in club history were no slouches, either, as team staff writer Nick Eatman points out.

–TB

Patrick Mahomes: Growing up a Cowboys fan, to be compared to Tony Romo is ‘awesome’ :: Dallas Morning News (2017)

No self-respecting Cowboys fan is rooting for the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. But maybe you’re looking for extra incentive to be an honorary Chiefs fan for the day, like WFAA’s Mark Lane was.

In the 2017 Dallas Morning News piece Lane links to, quarterback Patrick Mahomes detailed his Cowboys fandom as a youngster growing up in Texas. Not yet selected by Kansas City at the time of the article, Mahomes was flattered by pre-draft comparisons likening him to Cowboys gunslinger Tony Romo.

“He wasn’t scared to pull the trigger,” Mahomes then said of the just-retired Romo on the Fox Sports 1 show Undisputed. “He wasn’t scared to make any throw on the football field. So just to get compared to him is awesome.”

–TB

2020 NFL Draft Digest No. 1: Searching for a solution to the Cowboys’ safety woes :: The Athletic

Bob Sturm kicks off his NFL draft work by taking a look at the position the Cowboys have ignored perhaps more than any other as of late: safety. In 2019, Dallas found themselves in the enviable position of being able to choose from Juan Thornhill, Nasir Adderley, and Taylor Rapp. They chose none of those players. Perhaps the new coaching staff has a different philosophy?

Sturm looks into five different safeties that will likely be gone by Day 2 of the draft. The head of the class is Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who lined up everywhere and, prior to his final college season, played safety.

–TT

New York Jets putting the kibosh on Jamal Adams to Cowboys trade speculation? :: Inside the Star

The sequel to Cowboy Nation’s favorite fantasy tale from last season may be getting the plug pulled while still in preproduction. After a long and public courtship that ultimately went nowhere in 2019, Dallas and Jets safety Jamal Adams may be on the outs once and for all.

Adams has taken to Twitter to reveal that he and the Jets have had “small discussions” about an extension that would keep him with Gang Green. The All-Pro safety went on to say that he “fully expect[s] to be extended this offseason” and that he wants to remain in New York.

Of course, a lot can happen between “small discussions” and actually spilling ink on a Jets contract, so drama-loving Cowboys fans may choose to keep their popcorn at the ready and hoping for a plot twist.

–TB

New Cowboys secondary coach Maurice Linguist wants ‘ballhawks’ at safety :: Blogging the Boys

The Cowboys ranked last in the league in interceptions last season. That’s going to change, if new secondary coach Maurice Linguist has anything to say about it. The Texas A&M hire plans to spend 2020 working mainly with the Dallas safeties, while another new staffer, former Green Bay Packer Al Harris (who had 21 picks over his NFL career), will focus on the team’s cornerbacks.

Linguist, in a video interview posted on the Cowboys’ website, says he wants “ballhawks” at the safety position. In a single answer about what he’s looking for, the 35-year-old Dallas native also used words like “attacking,” “disruptive,” and “aggressive.” All are phrases that may be unfamiliar to Cowboys fans when it comes to discussions of their defensive backs’ recent play.

–TB

Suspensions like Randy Gregory’s may become illegal :: Sport DFW

Defensive end Randy Gregory remains on indefinite suspension after his latest violation of the league’s substance abuse policy in February 2019. In April, the Cowboys extended the former second-round-pick’s contract through the 2020 season- mainly because they believe in his football potential, but also partly because they know the tide is turning when it comes to how society and the law view marijuana usage.

Reid Hanson lays out a theory- also citing ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio- that the league will perhaps have to change its view on the subject as well. The catalyst may well be the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas. Nevada state law prohibits companies from refusing to hire an employee based on a failed drug test. That law appears to now apply to the Raiders… and could eventually force the league to allow the other 31 teams to follow suit.

With the CBA currently being negotiated and reports concessions will be made in the testing and discipline areas (in exchange for a 17th game), things may be moving on multiple fronts that will allow NFL players to exist without marijuana testing or punishments.

–TB

Joe Theismann believes that Drew Pearson belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame :: Blogging the Boys

Joe Theismann is about the last guy one would expect to heap praise on a member of the Dallas Cowboys. But the Redskins legend said this week that he considers it “a shame Drew Pearson’s not in the Hall of Fame.”

That’s saying something, considering the Cowboys wideout torched Washington for 1,312 yards and seven touchdowns over his 21 career meetings with the Redskins. Most of those games featured Theismann at the helm throughout the mid- to late-1970s and early ’80s.

“He’s the only member of the All-Decade team that’s not in the Hall of Fame, which really is a travesty, ” Theismann continued. “It makes you look at the Hall of Fame and start to wonder why. Why and how can something like that happen?”

But Theismann’s support of Pearson runs deeper than even their storied NFL rivalry. Many fans may not realize that the two were actually high school teammates.

–TB

[vertical-gallery id=637870][lawrence-newsletter]