Dez Bryant on never getting a fair chance, relationship with Jerry Jones, Romo, breaking generational curses, Cowboys organization, CeeDee, Dak and Lamar Jackson MVP

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast Dez will go down as one of the top Dallas Cowboys receivers to wear the star, but the stories and attention that followed #88 for a decade is what the former WR is sharing about dealing with pressure, expressing the disadvantages to succeeding in big D while in the NFL and lack of family support growing up motivating him to make a change in his own adult life. In an emotional conversation, Dez reveals never-heard-before stories and the inner workings of his life and career. Opening up about the dysfunctional relationship between him and former head coach Jason Garrett, the lack of locker room bond between teammates, the feeling of being set up to fail and his complicated bond with the Jones family, Dez talks about how playing for Dallas was a blessing and a curse in one. Bryant says that he was never given a fair opportunity to learn or mature when he reached the NFL, and the media’s portrayals of him stemmed from preconceived ideas of who he was. In order to “X out the negativity,” Bryant became a three-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 2014. While he may be remembered most for his infamous no-catch against the Green Bay Packers in 2015, he shines a light on the troubles of that season and the pivot he made to survive. Talking about his childhood through his recent attempts to help the future of the game. Whether it was family, teammates, coaches, reporters or friends, Dez is candid about the relationships he cultivated over the years, remaining open and honest when it comes to misunderstood narratives. Being raised in a different scenario of having a mother who was barely a teenager at his birth created a bumpy road for Dez early on, and with a complex bond to his father, Dez was often independent and trying to make it on his own. Football went from a simple game to his ticket to a new life, and with a mom or dad rarely in attendance, Dez had to self teach hard lessons while trying to find his way. With a life full of adversity, Dez remains himself to this day, and being away from the game as a player has allowed for him to focus on helping others and supporting his family in ways he couldn’t be supported as a kid. New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest, or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an Ultra. Because it's not just a superior-like beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser-Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 0:30Ryan Clark?

  What up fam? I just saw you on the grill.

• 0:32Dez Bryant?

  I saw me.

• 0:33Ryan Clark?

  I told him he was coming over with two big chains and a bracelet.

• 0:38Dez Bryant?

  Hey, I promised not to pull a cat on y'all today, man.

• 0:42Ryan Clark?

  Hey, shoot. If it get us all them views, you can do what the hell you want.

• 0:45Fred Taylor?

  88, what's up?

• 0:46Dez Bryant?

  What it do, man? How you feeling?

• 0:48Fred Taylor?

  What you rocking on? You got the orange in there too?

• 0:50Dez Bryant?

  Man, I got the orange. It's the AP, man. I had the mashed kicks.

• 0:53Fred Taylor?

  Man, you always been fresh though.

• 0:55Dez Bryant?

  By the way, congratulations to your son.

• 0:57Ryan Clark?

  Man, thank you, man.

• 0:57Dez Bryant?

  That's dope. I like seeing that.

• 0:58Ryan Clark?

  I appreciate it, man.

• 0:59Dez Bryant?

  You know, I'm working with mine right now, so...

• 1:00Ryan Clark?

  I saw you. I saw him outside?

• 1:02Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, that's my guy, man.

• 1:04Ryan Clark?

  How old is he?

• 1:04Dez Bryant?

  Uh, 13.

• 1:05Ryan Clark?

  That's awesome. Cause he's a little younger. Does he know who dad was though?

• 1:09Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, he know. He know.

• 1:10Fred Taylor?

  So he don't have to watch the YouTube?

• 1:12Dez Bryant?

  Nah, he do. He do. He watch everybody. His favorite guys is Chase and, um, Jeff.

• 1:16Fred Taylor?

  Jettis?

• 1:16Dez Bryant?

  Those is guys.

• 1:17Ryan Clark?

  LSU boys?

• 1:18Dez Bryant?

  Yup, LSU boys. Those is guys. He wears hair just like him. Hitting the gritty and all that. I say, yeah, them two guys to follow. So I respect it.

• 1:26Ryan Clark?

  They can play.

• 1:27Dez Bryant?

  Does he do the... Oh, he do that. Oh, he do that.

• 1:30Ryan Clark?

  Where did that come from?

• 1:32Dez Bryant?

  Dante Hall. But I had put a meaning behind mine. I put a meaning behind mine, you know? Just X out the negative. You know, I always felt like since I was young, I never been given a fair chance. And just, I always defeating the odds and, you know, just give me that extra motivation. You know, to show the guys who come up just like me, you can do the same thing.

• 1:51Ryan Clark?

  I love it.

• 1:52Dez Bryant?

  That's where it come from.

• 1:53Ryan Clark?

  That joke took over the stadium though. Every time you scored. As you, you left, leading touchdown getter, and the entire organization with the Dallas Cowboys. That's huge, bro.

• 2:28Ryan Clark?

  Sometimes we forget what you were at your height. And I think people forgot that too, man. So it's why it's cool that you're here. Chan, obviously, Freddie T. We're here with Dez Bryant, I'm RC at The Pivot. I'm gonna say this, though. Right, so they was like, hey, man, Dez coming on the show. I was like, alright, let me go study up, you know, let me get right. So it came out April 19th, 2010. Right, so it was a few days before the draft. And it said, "All of Dez Bryant's teammates, coaches, friends say he's a great person and a great teammate." They say he only got one problem. He's habitually late.

• 3:08Dez Bryant?

  Hey, you know, it holds a lot of truth. You know, as a young'un, that's where a lot of it stemmed from. You know, no structure, you know, no guidance. You know, having to learn along the way. You know, and finally, I was getting to it and, you know, it made a big difference.

• 3:25Ryan Clark?

  Man, that's awesome. Tell me a little bit, Dez, about how moving around in high school especially, in those formidable years, affected you. We had Michael Beasley on. And, you know, basketball is a different game, right? And you can jump to different schools and do different things, be in different homes. But it's hard to maintain relationships in that. How did those years of your life affect you?

• 3:49Dez Bryant?

  It wasn't really no big deal. You know, that was just my environment. That's where I was from, you know, where I can lay my head, you know, I was comfortable. You know, to be really honest, growing up, I didn't really even, you know, take football that serious. You know, it was just something that I did. It kept me out of trouble. And I'll never forget, I remember my coach, my head coach, Guy Rississo. He pulled me off to the side. He asked me, you know, did I want to go to college? And I was like, yeah. I'm gonna be honest, like, I would watch college football, you know, on TV. But I was like, damn, you know, hopefully one day, you know, I can do that. But I ain't really, you know, take it that serious.

• 4:29Ryan Clark?

  Really?

• 4:30Dez Bryant?

  But yeah, like I was saying, he pulled me off to the side and he asked me, did I want to go to college? And I was like, shit, yeah. You know, and he pulled all these letters from off and underneath his desk. And it was just scholarships from everywhere. And I didn't know what none of that stuff mean. I didn't know my position, rank. I didn't know any of that stuff. You know, people got chanting my name, cheering my name. That made me, you know, falling in line. Made me want to stay away from people that, you know, didn't mean me no good. That was family, friends, or whoever. I saw that as an opportunity to really get out.

• 5:02Fred Taylor?

  Hey, Dez, we just posted our two-year thing.

• 5:05Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 5:05Fred Taylor?

  And we talked about, you know, purpose, integrity. Uh, talked about the guests, valuing people, all that different stuff. Uh, so purposely, I wore the X hat. Shout out to Arrow for the hat and sending me the package. Last time we saw you, bruh, Chan was talking about, uh, Winn Dixie smelling like mopped water in grandma booty.

• 5:29Channing Crowder?

  Dez brings something out of me, man, you know what I'm saying? I'm a fan.

• 5:33Fred Taylor?

  That was the last time we seen you, bruh. So with that, man, like I said, I'm a fan. I've always been a fan, man. How you doing?

• 5:40Dez Bryant?

  Man, I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm doing a lot better than the last time I saw you guys.

• 5:44Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 5:45Dez Bryant?

  I don't know, man. I just got to a point in my life to where, um, I wanted to take accountability. You know, if it was me being in the wrong or somebody else being in the wrong. I, you know, what I mean by taking accountability is just taking amongst myself to put myself in, you know, the best situation that I want to see myself in.

• 6:04Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 6:04Dez Bryant?

  That's kind of where I'm at right now. You know, no blame game. Um, if it's for me, it's for me. If it's not, I wish you well and I love you.

• 6:12Fred Taylor?

  Along those lines, talking about accountability, I gotta ask you this. Cause there was a tweet that kind of came out a couple of weeks ago.

• 6:19Dez Bryant?

  Okay.

• 6:20Fred Taylor?

  You said, and I want to ask you if it still stands true.

• 6:23Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 6:24Fred Taylor?

  Or you was just trolling. I really want to get in the boxing ring with Stephen A. Smith and Stu President.

• 6:31Channing Crowder?

  This nigga ain't gonna fight nobody.

• 6:32Fred Taylor?

  Folks, let me finish the tweet.

• 6:35Dez Bryant?

  Oh, man.

• 6:35Fred Taylor?

  Folks like them talk the way they do because they know they can't be touched. But I wish they would agree to get in the ring with me so I can unleash my frustration against them. I can beat the crap, politely crap, out of them without going to... Well, you just trolling or you really want to box Stephen A.?

• 6:52Dez Bryant?

  I was trolling.

• 6:53Fred Taylor?

  But Stephen A. love you.

• 6:54Dez Bryant?

  I love Stephen A. too. I was really trolling, you know? Um, I guess, you know, one of my things was is I'm real big on, you know, treatment, you know, fair treatment when it comes to black and white athletes, you know? And it's really nothing against, um, the white athlete. It's just how the narrative... You know, it spun. So, you know, I always got a problem with that. We work 10 times harder, clear as day. I got a lot of experiences to where, um, you know, that make me lash out sometimes, you know, the way I do. Like I said, I have no hate, you know, towards Josh Giddy. I don't even know the man. Just thought it was just unfair, you know, what's that word? I can never pronounce it right. Allegedly.

• 7:33Ryan Clark?

  Allegedly. You pronounced it perfectly.

• 7:35Dez Bryant?

  The way the media kind of fit that in there, depending on who it is, it just bothers me, man. Like, I'm like, okay, let's talk about him the way we talked about my guy on draft day, who got drafted to the Charlotte Hornets.

• 7:49Fred Taylor?

  You're speaking to Malika now. Yeah. The Malika situation, yeah, I got it.

• 7:53Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, let's talk about that. I have no hate towards her neither, you know. It's just, they just have that same energy. And I just kind of feel like it's never the same energy. This same shit been going on for years and years and years and years. And, you know, I really stand for the players, you know, because I get it. We've been in these locker rooms. You know, we have these locker rooms talks. And if people really heard the locker room talk, I kind of feel like they'll get a true perspective, you know, from the athlete. You know, athletes, they'll text you on the side versus, you know, tweeting. I know y'all know what I mean when I, you know, when I say that. You know, and I'm just that type of person where it's like, man, hey, I don't even want none of that. Let's speak up, you know, let's speak up and really try to, you know, make a change.

• 8:35Fred Taylor?

  Hey, you say you ain't want none of that. That's what Stephen A. said.

• 8:38Dez Bryant?

  What?

• 8:39Fred Taylor?

  He said, you can't Nate Robinson him. That show, that rotated cup video, he say that was his hype.

• 8:44Dez Bryant?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 8:46Fred Taylor?

  I'm messing with you, man. I love both of y'all, bruh.

• 8:49Dez Bryant?

  I really do love Stephen A. Stephen A., when you see this, just know I love you, boss.

• 8:52Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 8:53Dez Bryant?

  There's no hate. I was just trolling.

• 8:54Ryan Clark?

  To your point, though, about the different way narratives are written, it's in the macro and what you're talking about, like the big scale. But it's also micro. Uh, for instance, Ja Morant comes back and whatever little dance these kids are doing now where they hear it like this, when Ja Morant's headline was written on social media, it was Ja Morant shoots guns. Right, in celebration. And then Quinn Ewers from Texas do the exact same thing. And it was Ewers, I can't even say his name, Ewers, whatever, celebrates a touchdown. Right, and it was just the differences in ways that athletes are covered. So I don't believe that you're wrong there, and I'm in the media.

• 9:34Ryan Clark?

  You know, for instance, when I got an opportunity to speak about Sean Payton and his behavior toward Russell Wilson, I said he behaved as a thug.

• 9:43Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 9:43Ryan Clark?

  Right, and there were people who had a problem with me, but I said, no. We have seen these sorts of behaviors from African-American athletes. That's how they've been characterized.

• 9:51Dez Bryant?

  Mm-hmm.

• 9:52Ryan Clark?

  So I took exactly what was happening in the media to us and did it to them. And obviously, they didn't like it. When you are speaking out now, right, you're speaking out from a former player's perspective. You're talking about the feelings that you've had in the locker room. What has made you so willing to put your voice to those things?

• 10:11Dez Bryant?

  It's the maturity, man. And like I said, I'm biased when it comes to the athlete. Because I know some of the things that, I know damn near everything, you know, we go through, you know, from the start to the end. And I always told myself, I even told Jerry, I was like, you know, whenever I'm done with the game, I want to keep my hands back in the locker room. I feel like I got a lot to offer. The guys don't even think about the end, you know, of the game. You know, we all gonna have our time.

• 10:38Ryan Clark?

  Mm-hmm.

• 10:38Dez Bryant?

  And how do you prepare for that? You know, so, you know, one thing I know, like I said, is football and athletes well. And I was like, man, I'm just gonna invest my time into that. I'ma kick it to them straight. We ain't for the bullshit. Hey dude, you don't do this, your ass gonna be done, you know? You know? You don't, you don't get around somebody that, that know, you know, a lot, a lot or just a little bit more than you, your ass gonna be done, you gonna be ass out, you gonna be broke, you gonna find yourself in a bad situation. Like I said, you know, I, I, I remember when our friends got into the NFL, you know, and... I like to say I was dumb as shit. Like, I really was. All I cared about was the game of football. You know, I didn't, I didn't care about managing my life.

• 11:23Dez Bryant?

  I didn't care about any of that stuff. You know, I had the media saying this about me. I don't even know what half of this shit be coming from. I was like, you know what? I just don't even care. Just leave me alone. Let me play football. Let me mind my business. What really got me up on game was going through the bad experiences. You know, the bad surroundings. And, you know, even before I understood anything, it was my gut that, that told me that this ain't right. I need to figure this out. I'm gonna be quiet and I'm gonna let it play itself out. And I'm gonna figure out how to get through whatever this is that's not right for me. And, you know, I did that, you know, and, you know, I've, I've, I've accomplished, you know, things that, you know, most guys that, you know, come from where I come from don't.

• 12:07Dez Bryant?

  And I just feel like there's a lot of guys in the NFL, you know, who need that guidance. And, you know, I'm here to deliver that. And I'm here to give it to, give it to them in a way that they understand, a way I know that they understand.

• 12:18Channing Crowder?

  Do you think it makes a difference? For what you do, do you think it makes a change? Because, like you saying, like a nigga come from the hood, he come from the hood, he gonna get bread. And then I didn't listen to nobody my first four, five years. And then I started listening to OGs later in my career. Do you really think it makes a chance, makes a difference for you to talk to these guys, to be around these guys? Because I know some of them are receptive and some of them ain't.

• 12:42Dez Bryant?

  That's facts, big facts. You know, for me, I believe in what I'm doing. You know, if they get it, if they don't, I'm gonna still preach the same thing because I, I've been through it. I walked it, I talked it, I lived it. You know, I done made it out, you know. And if they choose not to listen, I mean, it's all good. Like I just said, I'm, I'm gonna keep speaking. You know, I get a lot of guys who hit me up now who ask me for advice. And, you know, for me, I like giving it, you know, because I know, like, that's, that's something that I know. So, you know, it just makes me happy to just give it. You get what I'm saying?

• 13:15Fred Taylor?

  Do you think the game itself, like the NFL itself, who can, can, can use someone like yourself? Who obviously your career was cut way too short. I mean, drafted in 2010, it's 2023. A guy of your talent, you know, with no major injury, you still should be playing at, at a receiver position. So with that-

• 13:36Dez Bryant?

  Well, well- I'm sorry for cutting you off.

• 13:38Fred Taylor?

  No, no problem.

• 13:39Dez Bryant?

  You know, I like to believe, like I said, conspiracy. I like to believe this is some of the things I've learned throughout, you know, throughout my career, you know, I learned branding. You know, I learned branding way before a lot of guys, and I'll argue that with anybody. You know, I created, you know, Thrup DEX. You know, I did something special with myself. I, I, I was the first athlete to, I'm gonna go on air saying this, the first athlete to do a collaboration, you know, with a big brand like Jumpman. So, you know, when I signed with the Jumpman, we collaborated. I wasn't endorsed, you know, if that makes sense. That was two totally different things, and that's something that I stepped into, you know, like, I heard people say, um, well, you know, everybody not you, everybody, that's not the point, is everybody got a fan base, everybody got a brand, and I believe in ownership, and

• 14:24Dez Bryant?

  I believe in IP, and I think, you know, that's something, you know, that athletes can take with them to give to their kids, it could just all, it, it all trickles down.

• 14:33Fred Taylor?

  Obviously, that's something we all probably at some point fell short of, and a lot of guys don't put that as priority when it come to game. Like you were just saying a second ago, you solely focus on football, and a lot of things you learn later. And based on the dynamics of the locker room, we don't have those OGs Channing was talking about to sort of line us up, so we have to go through trials and tribulations to get there, and hopefully, a lot of us can survive that initial introduction.

• 15:04Dez Bryant?

  Yep.

• 15:05Fred Taylor?

  So that we can get to that point, so we can sustain, mature, and kind of ascend from there. Do you think the, the, the league itself is ready for that raw, uncut Dez Bryant style? Because not everybody can take that. You know, it's, it's certain ways they try and paint this picture, you know, they want that message, but it's the delivery.

• 15:28Dez Bryant?

  Facts.

• 15:28Fred Taylor?

  Do you think you could give back to the game in a capacity that they would want or expect you to give back to?

• 15:35Dez Bryant?

  Fred, I'm, I'm gonna be honest, I'm, I got to a point in my life to where You know, even before I came here, I was like, man, how do I speak without sounding bitter? You get what I'm saying?

• 15:45Fred Taylor?

  I think that's what a lot of people think. That's part of the question.

• 15:48Dez Bryant?

  Right, right. And it's my truth. You get what I'm saying? And I don't want to be hated for my truth. And, you know, like I said, it's a lot of these athletes deal with these things behind closed doors. And why not keep it raw? At the end of the day, we want to use these athletes. You know, we want to use them for good. But at the end of the day, I believe, you know, a lot of athletes go through, you know, depression and anxiety. I was, you know, I was one of them, you know? And, you know, we get it. We get athletes who lead this game and, and don't know what to do. I'm not gonna say any names, but commit suicide, get on drugs, they die, we don't know how it happened. You know, like, that's where a lot of my time is spent for the most part. And that's why I speak the way that I do. I think the league, you know, should, you know, should embrace that.

• 16:33Dez Bryant?

  You know, I am who I am. I can't change that. I really can't, and I don't want to. I want to be accepted for, you know, for who I am. I don't think I'm a bad guy. I want the help. I want to help, you know? You know, it's like, everybody is not the same, you know, if that makes sense.

• 16:49Ryan Clark?

  So I believe that you have valuable information to share because you've gone through adversity.

• 16:54Fred Taylor?

  Correct.

• 16:54Ryan Clark?

  Right? Because you have made certain decisions that have put you in situations you've had to learn from. A lot of times, people who are on the outside, who've never been in your place, who don't come from where you come from, who haven't had the hardships that you've had, they look at your discretion as a reason why you can't give information. Right? So you'll get the pushback of, well, Dez, you did this. Well, Dez, you did that. Why should you be speaking? Well, I see it as Dez should be speaking because he did that. Because he's had to go through that. How do you deal with the people that like to bring up the mistakes you've made when you do want to be a voice or be a mentor or give back to the game?

• 17:39Dez Bryant?

  To be honest, I'm not even here to be like, oh, they was, you know, I'm right or wrong. But, you know, I will say that, you know, we all know how the media work. I'm still who I am, man. You know, some of the things that I've been through, like... A lot of these guys understand, like, and it's like, I just, I just wanna, like I said, I just, I wanna be me. Like, what the media say about me, what they've always said about me, I've known that that's not me. The, the, the fans, the, the, the people, you know, if that was the case, we would've saw burnt jerseys, you know, when I left. We would've saw all this. I ain't never saw a dead Brian Jersey burnt, just keeping it real. Yeah.

• 18:19Dez Bryant?

  My heart lies in Dallas, you know, I've, I've been in these hoods, you know, I've showed up in the hood, you know, giving toys and, you know, feeding families without really nobody noticing, you know, no cameras, no nothing.

• 18:30Fred Taylor?

  Hooping at the 24-hour fitness.

• 18:32Dez Bryant?

  Hooping at the 24-hour fitness. I'm talking about, it's straight off the practice field, man, I'm hooping. I done walked, I got some water, I'm looking at myself on TV, walk back up in there, rerun it again. You get what I'm saying? So, you know, walking to Walmart, I, I'll tell you something crazy, I'm, I'ma get back to what you were saying. I'll never forget, uh, walking into Walmart and, um, it was around Christmas time, man. That woman came through with, um, with a hard hat on and, um, one of those little caution. Yeah, one of those vests. She was running and this was around the time, I think the PlayStation 4s came out. And, um, everybody was standing in line and, you know, I was looking at this woman, I was like, man, she here for her babies, you know, cause it, it, you know, it brought me back to.

• 19:17Dez Bryant?

  Being a jet. You know, and I was like, you know what, man, hey, hold on, hey, bring them out, you know?

• 19:24Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 19:24Dez Bryant?

  I got them all, you get what I'm saying? And, um, that was just some, you know, some real stuff and for me, it is that stuff, you know, that's the real stuff. And, you know, I ain't, I ain't want no camera, I ain't want nothing around that, you know, that, that's just, you know, how I move faithfully. I never move with no security, no, none of that, like, you know, I'm really true man of the people and, you know, I just like to be me, you know, with no strings attached. And, you know, a lot of people can't deal with that.

• 19:50Channing Crowder?

  And there's the tale that stories, like, I never read that. If, if, if it was out, we'd have been and read that.

• 19:55Dez Bryant?

  No.

• 19:55Channing Crowder?

  Never read that story. And I know a lot of people do that, like Shaq came out, when Shaq buy the Walmart up and all that stuff.

• 20:01Dez Bryant?

  No.

• 20:02Channing Crowder?

  What, what story on the other side do you hate?

• 20:07Channing Crowder?

  What story on the other side that people know and attach to your name that you be like, that's not me?

• 20:12Dez Bryant?

  First off, I just felt like I was never given a fair chance to really like, you know, show the world, you know, who I am, even coming out of college, you know? I was this, you know, calling my mom a prostitute, you know, I'm already building a narrative. You know, I feel like every time I say something, I try to defend myself regardless of what story it is. I was just never given a chance to show the world who I really was and that's where that came from. You get what I'm saying?

• 20:39Channing Crowder?

  The negativity.

• 20:39Dez Bryant?

  You know, that's what, you know, I'm barking back. You get what I'm saying? Like, ah, I'm get out who I am. I ain't gonna let y'all tell me who I am. Yeah, fuck y'all.

• 20:53Dez Bryant?

  You know, just, you know, just being honest. And I'll never forget too, one story, they were telling me I was sagging in the mall. They knew I wasn't sagging, it was one of my partners, he was with me. He was sagging in the mall, but it's the fact that, you know, that we was all together. So it's affiliation thing, but it was how they wanted to paint that on me. And I was like, man, this shit here is crazy. It wasn't even all that serious. I'm talking about, you would have thought I stole something out of the store or something. I'm talking about, I walked out, you know, just hands up, man, I don't want no problem. Next thing, you know, it became the biggest deal in the world. There's Brian in the mall sagging. I'm like, what?

• 21:26Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, realize too, there's the, a story I read about you was from 2010. And that was the way the Dallas media introduced you to the world. It's a picture of yourself, it's a picture of your mother. Outside, just, you know, kicking, taking a picture and it talks about how y'all have the same cheekbones, same smile, all those things. And then it goes through all the negative you had been through, right? The, the things you had to deal with, with your mother, whether it be sexual orientation. Going to jail and it was already negative.

• 22:02Dez Bryant?

  Yep.

• 22:02Ryan Clark?

  Another story I get to when, you know, whatever went on between you and your mother and allegedly, you know, like that words you love, allegedly happened. It was literally, the title was, "A List of Dez Bryant's Negative Incidents Since He's Been a Dallas Cowboy."

• 22:20Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 22:20Ryan Clark?

  And it wasn't even a story. It was 2011 such and such, he did this, 2012 such and such, he did this. I want to go back before that because in order for them to build a narrative, there had to be a place or a genesis where they felt like they could start.

• 22:38Dez Bryant?

  Oh.

• 22:38Ryan Clark?

  Tell me a little bit about you and your mother's relationship. Cause I had my first baby at 19 and I feel like we grew up together.

• 22:47Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 22:47Ryan Clark?

  To have a baby at 15, bro, when you could barely, 13? When you could barely take care of yourself. What was that relationship like between you?

• 22:57Dez Bryant?

  Man, I'm gonna be honest, um, my mom know I love her to death. You know, but the relationship was kind of weird. Since I was a child, you know, um, I felt like I never got the, you know, I, I never got the mom mom, you know, that I always wanted, you know, you know, no matter like, oh, man.

• 23:16Dez Bryant?

  I get deep, I get deep. But like I said, I never got the, you know, the mom mom that I always wanted. I think that's something that, um, that bothered me, you know, throughout my life a lot. But I also got it too. I also understood, you know, um, all the things that my mom been through. So that kind of made me kind of mature early too. But, um, the relationship with my mom.

• 23:40Dez Bryant?

  Uh.

• 23:45Dez Bryant?

  Man.

• 23:48Dez Bryant?

  All I say is this right here, you know, um.

• 23:53Dez Bryant?

  It's not what I always wanted. You know, and something that I would never want a kid to ever experience, but, you know, we can't control the cards that, you know, we was dealt. That's why I really never, you know, held anything against my mom. My mom damn near like my sister. You get what I'm saying? So, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's, I don't know. It was just a weird situation, you know, because my mom been through some rough, rough stuff. You know, my mom sold drugs. My granny sold drugs, like my uncles and all of those guys sold drugs. And it was just like, I don't know, man. It was just that that relationship was, was never there.

• 24:36Dez Bryant?

  I used to beg for my mom all the time and, you know, and it was just, it was never the way I always wanted. You know, every opportunity that I remember being a child. I remember my mom went to jail and we went to go see her in a penitentiary. And I want to say they gave us about, I think it was like three to four hours. And when I had to leave there, man, that was one of the most craziest feelings I ever experienced, you know, in my life. And even as a kid, I, I knew right then and there, I was like, man, something gotta be different. I don't know what the change gonna be, but I'm gonna put that on me to, to figure something out.

• 25:15Dez Bryant?

  Like for, I had this, I had this, this mindset at a very early age and, you know, you know, I just wanted to, you know, do better to, you know, to build a better relationship with my mom, you know, to, to give her that life that she ain't, she ain't never experienced. You know, making it to the NFL, I'm gonna keep it real with you, man. And, you know, when you make money, I'm thinking, you know, that's gonna solve all the problems. Man, that shit made all the problems worse.

• 25:46Fred Taylor?

  Times 10.

• 25:47Dez Bryant?

  Times 10.

• 25:48Ryan Clark?

  You know, when you run down all the people in your life that you said sold drugs. We understand that those, a lot of times, are decisions of circumstance.

• 25:59Dez Bryant?

  Right.

• 26:00Ryan Clark?

  Right? The, the place of, of hopelessness you find yourself in, you feel that's the only way out, even if, if that's not true. Right? That's what we've seen people turn to, but you're talking about getting money and hoping that money solves those problems. The issue is, money was always the problem.

• 26:19Dez Bryant?

  Yep.

• 26:19Ryan Clark?

  Right? And so now, when you get it and you realize that putting money on it doesn't change it, putting money on it doesn't heal hurt, doesn't heal trauma. You're at a loss because your entire life, you've developed this thought that, "Once I make it, it fixes everybody, including me." So when you get to the point where you realize it's not fixing it, what did you do then?

• 26:42Dez Bryant?

  It got to a point where it was like, I had to start realizing, like, you know,

• 26:49Dez Bryant?

  just the little structures that I gained and I developed over time. They never experienced nothing like that, you know? So I couldn't even fault some of my family, you know, for their actions, you know? But, you know, what I had to do was, I had to kinda remove myself and kinda love them from a distance, so they can kinda understand, like, hey, man, like...

• 27:16Dez Bryant?

  I don't know, I just, I, you know, I, I, I had to, I had to remove myself. You know, I, I had to remove myself from some family members, so they could, you know, get a better understanding of who I am, what I'm about, and I'm not like that anymore, like, I'm not from that. Like, I'm from that, but I have babies, you know? Like, I care, I'm not neglecting mine and, you know, I'm, I'm building better experiences, you know, for them. I like to think my baby's smarter than me right now. You know, just due to the things that I put them through. Just the entitlement from the family, you know? Yeah, it's, it's, I couldn't deal with it. I couldn't deal with it anymore. Like I said, it was causing problems.

• 27:58Dez Bryant?

  I feel like that's where a lot of my problems, you know, came from is was trying to, you know, be a part of my family, help my family and put them in a better position.

• 28:07Fred Taylor?

  You don't ever want to feel like you're turning your back on your people.

• 28:10Dez Bryant?

  Facts.

• 28:10Fred Taylor?

  And that's people that, you know, come up with certain circumstances, certain demographics. Naturally, that's just, that's just a natural reaction, right?

• 28:20Dez Bryant?

  Mm-hmm.

• 28:21Fred Taylor?

  And I think a big problem within with sports, all professional sports, is that when you involve the media, you know, they don't, they don't give the media a pamphlet to say, look, this is the background on Dez Bryant, Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor. They don't say these are...

• 28:40Dez Bryant?

  I think, I think the narrative is, I really think that the narrative is purposely, purposely built to, to destroy.

• 28:47Fred Taylor?

  No, but I'm, I'm trying to go somewhere else.

• 28:49Dez Bryant?

  Okay.

• 28:50Fred Taylor?

  Because I want to talk about, you know, the trauma, you know, upbringing.

• 28:55Dez Bryant?

  Mm-hmm.

• 28:55Fred Taylor?

  All those different things that aren't always seen in the forefront. Because people see the success or the ability or talent that you are and what you can do on the field, not until shit hits the fan, they see everything that was buried, right? And, and whatever those experiences are, you were raised by a kid.

• 29:16Dez Bryant?

  Right.

• 29:17Fred Taylor?

  Thirteen, your mother was a child.

• 29:20Dez Bryant?

  Yep.

• 29:20Fred Taylor?

  My mom had me at seventeen. You just say your mom is like your sister. My mom never felt like, my mom is my mom, don't get me wrong, but she never felt like my, my grandmother was that role. She, she endured that role. So my, my mom and I, we developed sort of a brother, sister relationship. And we super tight now. And, you know, for, for... NFL businesses, whether it's basketball, they don't give that information to the media. The media, all they want you to do is perform. You know, while you're out there, they don't care about everything else that's going on in your life, unless you get into some shit. Whatever those red flags are, they're gonna write away and ask the story. They're not gonna say, well, Dez Bryant come from this,

• 30:05Fred Taylor?

  and maybe this is part of the reason he's been this way. They're not psychologists or psychiatrists. They don't wanna do that deep dive. Whatever it was you were experiencing, whether it lashing out at the media, you know, some locker room moments, this and that, everybody has an opportunity to mature and grow.

• 30:23Dez Bryant?

  Facts.

• 30:24Fred Taylor?

  And once you get in that spot or in that position, though, you have to be accountable.

• 30:30Dez Bryant?

  But it's hard to...

• 30:31Fred Taylor?

  And also make sure...

• 30:31Dez Bryant?

  But it's hard to mature...

• 30:33Fred Taylor?

  That you understand the position you're in.

• 30:34Dez Bryant?

  Facts. It's hard to mature and grow when you're not given the opportunity.

• 30:38Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends, like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an Ultra. Because it's not just a Superior light beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 31:07Dez Bryant?

  You get what I'm saying? And that's what I was always...

• 31:09Fred Taylor?

  You have to give yourself the opportunity.

• 31:10Dez Bryant?

  That's facts. But I know for me, that's all, that's all, I always was looking for that. You know, and I just kinda felt like, you know, I was never blessed with that opportunity. I'm just being honest. Like, I was doing a lot of things on my own. I was building a lot of things on my own.

• 31:26Fred Taylor?

  That's pressure.

• 31:27Dez Bryant?

  But, but, but, but the thing about it is like, I was doing it, I was doing it right. Like, like, like, that's what I mean, like, right? And what I mean by like the opportunity for help, it's like if I expressed that this is going on and this is going on and I'm not getting the proper help, that's, you know, I'm not, I'm not getting the opportunity to better myself.

• 31:47Ryan Clark?

  Were you expressing that within the organization?

• 31:49Dez Bryant?

  Oh, absolutely.

• 31:50Fred Taylor?

  What do you consider proper help, though?

• 31:51Dez Bryant?

  I mean, if I'm being honest with you, Fred, and I'm telling you, hey, man, I'm dealing with this. And but you already got it made up in your mind is this because you took somebody else's world for it? That's not giving an opportunity.

• 32:05Ryan Clark?

  So when you go to the organization, when you go to the Dallas Cowboys and you say these are the things that I'm dealing with, what is their response to you?

• 32:15Dez Bryant?

  I'm gonna be honest with you. Like I said, it's all love, you know, for Jerry, Steven, you know, those guys. Like I said, you know, like I said, as I was driving here, trying my best not to come off bitter. You know, I had people going to my mailbox, you know, stealing my mail. You get what I'm saying? That was with Jerry. You get what I'm saying? That's supposed to been helping me. You get what I'm saying? Like building up these stories. Where the fuck is this Walmart tape? You get what I'm saying? Where is it at? I remember getting drafted, Jerry telling me, hey, you do everything right, we gonna sit back at the table, renegotiate your contract. I never got that opportunity because I felt like it was a case built against me.

• 32:57Dez Bryant?

  That's, that's how I was honestly feeling, like in this little rule book thing, talking about the strip club. And I hate the strip club. I'm gonna be honest. Ask any stripper in Dallas, there's Brian, ain't never spent it. Not saying I never been. But what I'm saying is it wasn't a faithful thing. That wasn't my style. You know, I'm not here to call anybody out because I ain't putting no names out, but it was guys up in there faithfully. The most the stripper ever got from me was a chicken wing and a nice conversation.

• 33:24Ryan Clark?

  There's, it's.

• 33:25Dez Bryant?

  But, but, but, but, but I'm, but I want to talk about the, but I want to talk about these rules.

• 33:29Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, okay.

• 33:29Dez Bryant?

  You know, and when I see the world seeing this, like that's what I mean. Like, hey, man, I'm trying to tell you who I am, but you don't want to hear me. It's already made up. So it kind of made me feel like, hey, nobody, you know, y'all already got your mind made up. So, all right, fuck it. I'm gonna show you ain't this. I'm gonna show you ain't that. I'm gonna do, I'm gonna do things my way, you know, and, and that's kind of what I did. Like, think about it. Every time I was on the sideline, I kind of felt like people, like, like, wanted to be like, oh, look at him, look at him, look at him. Now he talking bad to his teammates, this and this and this. I'll never forget the Detroit Lions game when Calvin went crazy. Let me even rewind just a tad bit. The week of that game.

• 34:14Dez Bryant?

  Now, I'll never forget, I ain't gonna say his name neither. But it was our PR guy. He was like, "Hey, Des, you need to talk to the media." "This Marshawn, before Marshawn." "Nah, I don't wanna talk to the media." "Every time I speak, y'all spin my narrative." "Y'all create this narrative, and I don't like that." You know, like, "Well, you gonna get fined." "You gonna keep getting fined." "You gonna keep getting..." I was already getting fined before that for not talking to the media. So I was like, "You know what, fuck it, I'mma talk." It was some radio station in Detroit. And I'll never forget, make a long story short. He was like, "Do you think you better than Calvin Johnson?" I was like, "Nah, I think he the best at what he do." "And I think I'm the best at what I do." You know, I said, "I grew up watching Calvin Johnson highlights."

• 34:59Dez Bryant?

  "One of my favorite receivers in the world." "Man, so the dude gonna say, 'So you better than him.'" I said, "I didn't say that." I said, "He the best at what he do, and I'm the best at what I do." "I don't know how that's saying it, then I'm better than him." I'm talking about, they made this big ol' story. They made this huge story. And I'm talking about, it got underneath my skin, RC. I'm talking about, I was hot. When I tell y'all I was hot, 'cause like, I love Calvin. And I don't, and first off, I don't want Calvin thinking that... You disrespecting him. I'm disrespecting him. Nate B. fell for the trap. I'm like, "Damn, I respect you too, Nate." Like, like, like, this is not what this supposed to be. Right. We get into the game, and I'll never forget, I'm one-on-one a lot.

• 35:43Dez Bryant?

  You know, and I had my moments where I was one-on-one a lot. And me and Tony, I'm talking about, we... That Backstreet Boys fade, unstoppable. Yes, it was. And I mean that with a passion. The way we practiced, the way we worked on that. We wanted it to be perfection. And we wasn't, I felt like we wasn't doing it enough. And I would tell Tony, like, "Hey, Tony, we the best at this." "They can't stop us, I'm telling you, put it down, I'm getting it." "I gotta say that." You know, you know, all of the media, they came, they surrounding me. And all they wanted to talk about was me on the sideline. And then it got to a point where I was like, "I know there's mics everywhere around this field." "Let's listen to the audio." If I'm saying any, I'm talking about, all of the media destroying me, y'all.

• 36:27Dez Bryant?

  They are destroying me. So let's just go listen to the audio. Listen to it. Shit, audio come out. You had some reporters, I can't think of the name. Apologize and the whole narrative changed. And I was like, man, it was from the grace of God. I was like, just because everything was already falling negative on me. Like I said, anything I say, it was being used against me. Like, people don't even understand. I'm out here on the field, I'm throwing up the X, but behind closed doors, I'm not even feeling good. Like, I'm not even me. You get what I'm saying? I'm sheltering myself into my house. Don't want to come outside, don't want to do nothing. I just want to go to practice, just leave me alone. And I just want to talk to my team.

• 37:09Fred Taylor?

  That's that pressure I'm talking about. Fans, they don't, people don't see it all the time.

• 37:14Channing Crowder?

  But, bro, what's the narrative that you hate the most about that? Like, even with that, with that game or whatever, like, what have you been painted as that still gets to you? Bro, you old as fuck, nigga. You been retired for what? 10 years? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, goddamn, you still holding on to that, but what really gets to you right now?

• 37:32Dez Bryant?

  Chad, he played in 2020.

• 37:34Channing Crowder?

  Four years, five years. We didn't say it, so five years. Does that shit still get to you?

• 37:39Dez Bryant?

  Right now, at this moment, what gets to me is not having the opportunity to to really be involved with the athletes the way I want to be. I'm talking about like far as the NFL, the NFLPA, I want that opportunity. You know, it's a lot of things I learned along the way that I, you know, what we talked about earlier that I would like to, you know, to help the athletes with. You know, really far on, you know, on the business side, you know, far as branding and, you know, things like that. You know, every day, we gonna find a superstar, right? And, and it's like, I want to be right there, you know, to help with those things. You know, like, we get fourth-rounders, fifth-rounders, sixth-rounders, end up being Hall of Famers, right? Like, for example, Brock Purdy, like, I would have loved to, you know,

• 38:21Dez Bryant?

  been a part of his brand or just gave him, you know, any type of light on, you know, how he could have capitalized on his moment. Like, I feel like nobody did that better than me. And, you know, I just see the NFL, you know, collabing with all these people who don't really understand the athlete, you know? And, you know, I think that's what bothers me the most right now.

• 38:43Ryan Clark?

  I have two questions I want to ask you, because these are moments that stick out to me about you. Can you take me back to draft day? When the Dallas Cowboys moved back up into the first round? What was it, 24? The 24th overall pick.

• 39:01Dez Bryant?

  It was the 24th.

• 39:02Ryan Clark?

  Get to the 24th overall pick. Demaryius Thomas is already off of the board. God rest his soul. Is already off of the board. And that phone rings and it's the Dallas Cowboys. Take me back to that moment because for you, coming up the way you came up, dealing with some of the things you had to go through to get there and being suspended in your last year, right? Because you go way before that, if not, right? When you get that call, man, I just remember your face. I remember you fighting back tears. I remember the hug. Just take us back to when you got that opportunity.

• 39:38Dez Bryant?

  Man, I'm gonna be honest with you, dog.

• 39:42Dez Bryant?

  First off, let's start off with Josh McDaniels. Josh McDaniels. He was, I want to say, he was the coach of the Broncos around that time. And I remember visiting the Broncos and he told me that they were gonna draft me.

• 39:57Dez Bryant?

  Told me this, right? I'm talking about, I just knew I was gonna be a Denver Bronco. You know, he didn't draft me.

• 40:03Ryan Clark?

  They drafted Demaryius.

• 40:04Dez Bryant?

  They drafted Demaryius. I remember texting his ass. I was like, I promise you I'm gonna make sure. This is the worst thing you ever did in your career, passing up on me.

• 40:13Ryan Clark?

  Well, he coached the Raiders too, so no, it wasn't the worst.

• 40:16Dez Bryant?

  He made a lot of bad decisions. But that moment, I remember going to visit the Cowboys. And I'll never forget, Jerry going, Jerry, Jerry was like, "Hey, let me see your hands real quick." Jerry put his hand up against mine and I put mine up against his. It was like, damn.

• 40:38Dez Bryant?

  Some big old hands and, you know, he was like... I used to do that at a nightclub with the girls. Crazy. But there's difference. Never mind, my bad.

• 40:51Dez Bryant?

  He was like, I'mma draft you. He said, I get the opportunity to get you, I'mma get you. He said, I'm serious. I said, I get it, I'mma get you. That's how he was doing. I was like, ah, that's cool. I said, if I get drafted by the Cowboys, you know, forget everything else. I just know I'm not going to the Cowboys. No, like, I know it's impossible. You know, like, I'm from Texas and, you know, being in Texas, oh, it's fit to go crazy. Yeah, so, man, me getting that call, man, um, I ain't gonna lie to you, I seen my heart drop. And I'm mad at Belichick, too. I'm mad at Belichick and I'm mad at, well, I wanna be mad at Brady, but I can't.

• 41:28Fred Taylor?

  Not mad, man.

• 41:29Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, I'm not mad, man.

• 41:30Fred Taylor?

  Now, we talking about the people.

• 41:32Dez Bryant?

  Oh, I love, hold on, time out, but I love Belichick. I do, I love him, by the way. I'm just saying, you know.

• 41:37Ryan Clark?

  For that moment.

• 41:38Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, yeah, for that moment.

• 41:39Fred Taylor?

  I know.

• 41:40Dez Bryant?

  Oh, and the Ravens, the Ravens said that they was gonna draft me, too. You know, but I felt like the Ravens was gonna draft me. What they did was, um, the Cowboys and the, um, the Cowboys and the Ra, no, the Cowboys and the Patriots swapped. They swapped picks. And, um, that's how, you know, the Cowboys drafted me. Yeah, and then I was like, this is crazy. Like, this is crazy. Like, bruh, I was like, this is unreal. I was like, I can't believe it.

• 42:09Ryan Clark?

  So, I wanna fast forward a little bit. This is a moment that I know a ton about because it was my former team, uh, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Your father passes, you find out when you get to Pittsburgh.

• 42:22Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 42:23Ryan Clark?

  Take me through first, you know, the moment you and Dak shared, Dak had, you know, who had lost his mom. And then relating to you and losing your father, knowing you had to go play a game the next day.

• 42:34Dez Bryant?

  My daddy, he was already like, I wanna say it was like a year or two. Like, he was going through complications that he was going through and that was affecting me. I'm talking about bad, and I was just trying to, you know, keep my cool or whatever. I was like, man, I'm about to lose my daddy. And I was like, you know, trying to keep myself cool. I remember I had a, um, A Jumpman photo shoot. And I'm getting these phone calls and it's like, man, I can't go to this shoot. Like, my daddy is like, man, I don't know. I'm about to lose my mind. And, you know, the guys, the reps over there, you know, they getting upset with me. I'm being transparent with them. I was like, man, fuck y'all.

• 43:18Dez Bryant?

  Like, we talking about my daddy. It would always weigh on me because I was like, man, ain't no telling, you know, when my daddy about to go. But, you know, when you get that feeling, you getting that feeling. And I guess what, you know, what even bothered me, I'll never forget, like, when I got drafted and I felt like I had myself together. I'll never forget, you know, going to see my daddy, you know, back in my hometown. I was like, hey, everything good. You know, now the Cowboys did, help me with this. They was willing to help me with this. I was like, hey, I was telling my daddy, I was like, hey, they gonna help. You know, we gonna find the best doctors out here. And, um, and, um, you good. You know, man, daddy broke my heart. He turned me down.

• 44:02Ryan Clark?

  Wow.

• 44:03Dez Bryant?

  He turned me down. And that was just because of things that we been through, you know, as a kid. And I understood why he did that. And he was like, nah, son, I just would ask you to do one thing, take care of your brothers.

• 44:16Ryan Clark?

  Wow.

• 44:17Dez Bryant?

  That's all he asked me. I was like, yeah, he's just gonna turn me down like that? Like, I'm talking about broke out in tears, like. I'm like, that's what we did, this is what I did it for. I was still paying for, you know, like, all this medicine that he need, you know, and all that stuff, but, you know.

• 44:36Ryan Clark?

  He rejected the help?

• 44:37Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, he rejected it. He rejected it. I kind of feel like it was, it was a situation, man, y'all gonna make me get too real.

• 44:47Ryan Clark?

  Do you think he felt like he didn't, do you think he felt like he didn't deserve it?

• 44:51Dez Bryant?

  I don't, I don't know. You know, my daddy was one of the best thing. I think he the strongest man that ever walked this earth. And I mean that with a passion. I think he felt like he let us down. And I never felt that way. You know, like, I really understood, you know, his situations. I'm telling you, when I was very, very young, like, my daddy doing the best that he can. You know, it's him by himself and his six of us in the house. You get what I'm saying? Mama in jail, you know, and the other kids, mama out doing what they doing. You get what I'm saying? And it's just him, you know? Nah, I ain't gonna say. It's real crazy, but I will say this right here. I, I say this, I never forget, um...

• 45:34Dez Bryant?

  Because I don't want to speak on her. You know, I feel like she don't deserve that. She don't deserve to be spoke on, you know? And, um, you, you ain't worth it. You know what you did, you know? And, um, we gonna leave you where you at, you know? And, um, you know how you treated us? You know how you treated his kids? She, she don't, she don't know. When I say that, she know who I'm, I'm talking about. But just the way we was treated, you know, as youngins. Me and my brothers and sisters, it wasn't right. And, um, I remember my sister getting kicked out of the house when she was sixteen. She had a baby, um, just on and on and, um, never got the opportunity to graduate. You know, same thing happened to my brother. My brother was a great athlete, never got the opportunity to, to graduate. You know, it was like, it was, it was a... Cycle.

• 46:20Dez Bryant?

  It was a cycle. I'm up next. You get what I'm saying? Like, I never forget it. I went, I went, I went weeks without eating in the house. Damn. Weeks, because, um, I, I just knew, you know, it wasn't right. You know, it was, you know, hmm. I know I'm giving bits and pieces, but it's for a reason. And I, and I never forget, like, I just felt like, you know, it wasn't love. And I already saw it coming, you know, if that makes sense. I knew I was up next. I'm talking about, this is my senior year in high school. I'm, I'm going crazy, oh, see? We just got done playing Longview, Longview, Texas. You know, shout out East Texas, Longview, Texas on TV. And, um, I never was the party type, you know? Not the drug type, you know?

• 47:05Dez Bryant?

  Um, I went to a church lock-in, um, you know, after this game. And, um, I remember asking my daddy before the game, I'm like, hey, after the game? Can I go to his church lock-in? And he was like, cool, fine, or whatever. By the way, they wasn't showing up to none of my games. My daddy, you know, my stepmom, my mom. My mom, she can't refuse, but they wasn't even coming to my games, you know. I got used to it.

• 47:30Ryan Clark?

  How badly did you want them to come to your games?

• 47:32Dez Bryant?

  Oh, bad, bad. It was extremely bad.

• 47:35Ryan Clark?

  Did you tell them?

• 47:37Dez Bryant?

  Absolutely, absolutely. It was always, you know, some type of excuse. But I gotta tell you about this story, Royce. Like, I got, you know. I remember after the game, I go ham on two touchdowns. We went off on national TV. And I remember going to church like in and out. Then when I came back home, my daddy, his, his, his, his wife. Like I said, I don't want to mention her name. She said, "I gotta leave." No reason. Still to this day, I don't, I don't know the reason. "I gotta leave. I gotta get out." And I'll never forget, I was telling my daddy, I was like. I was like, "Man, my daddy paid for everything in here."

• 48:20Dez Bryant?

  Like, "Daddy, you gonna, you gonna let her, you gonna let her talk, you gonna let her talk to me? You gonna let her talk to me like this?" I started bringing back up my brother and my sister. And I was like, "You know what? Don't even worry about it. I'm out." Just like that. And my girlfriend at the time, like, they let me, you know. Her aunt let me, you know, stay with them when I got to finish school, you know, over there. You know, so it was that cycle, you know. If I can't go to school, if I can't do this, or I ain't gonna graduate. You know, or, you know, some things like that. I'm not gonna be able to go to college or whatever. And I felt like that's, that's what was, she wanted to play out for me.

• 49:02Dez Bryant?

  And just being honest with you, man, it was a lot of, it was a lot of hate for, for unnecessary reasons and...

• 49:10Ryan Clark?

  So how did you not end up like your sister or not end up...

• 49:14Dez Bryant?

  I was different.

• 49:15Ryan Clark?

  Like your brother? What was it about you? How did you deal with her differently, your father differently, or whatever it was, that allowed you to get to the point that you wanted to get to, which was the NFL?

• 49:27Dez Bryant?

  Royce, I'm gonna be real with you, dawg. I just felt like... I don't know, it's the man, it's the man upstairs. Like, I felt different, you know, I moved different. No, I'm always been curious, I want better, I always wanted better. I was sitting on the pavement with my brother, I was like, man, this is the poorest shit. I'm like, something gonna change one of these days, I don't care. Fifty, twenty years from now, I'm telling you something gonna change. I'm gonna drive in this little, this quarter second with the nicest car ever. I did that too, though, I really did that. Like, that's no bullshit. Like I said, it was a lot of gelatin, man, oh, man.

• 50:04Ryan Clark?

  Like, when you go through, when you go through all of that and you have that feeling toward your father's wife, but you think that your dad is the strongest man in the world, and you lose him, and on the back of losing him, you go for about 120, 50-yard touchdown against my team, but it's okay. What was it like to be able to honor your father? After the game, you said it was special. Like, we all, at least myself, when everything was going crazy in life or when things weren't going right, that was always pure to me, the football field. So to get an opportunity to go represent your father on the football field the day after he died, what did it feel like to play that way?

• 50:46Dez Bryant?

  I'm gonna be honest with you all, if I didn't play that game, I was gonna go do something stupid.

• 50:52Dez Bryant?

  I know that for a fact. Everything that I had been through, dealing with, you know, my mom and wife and some of the things I heard her tell my daddy, you know, that never left my soul, never left my mind. And I'm gonna play this game, I know this was what my daddy would have wanted me to do, and I'm just gonna dedicate this game, you know, to him. Like I said, you know, like, sometimes, you know, bro, like, I think about my daddy all the time, you know, like, like I said, he the realest, I'm being honest, it wild work. You know, my daddy, you know, wore a jury and it was just like,

• 51:30Dez Bryant?

  you know, I miss him, and, um...

• 51:38Channing Crowder?

  The day you turned into the patriarch when your father died. And now you got money, you talking about what you did. Now you have to tote that crown. You have to grab that, you know what I'm saying? Grab that baton. Did you know it? And how did you deal with that when you became the patriarch of the family?

• 51:54Dez Bryant?

  I was already toting it. My family dysfunctional as fuck. You get what I'm saying? Like, it was really more so like, I'mma make sure mine's straight. You know, they can't witness none of this. They, they, they different. They ain't never gonna experience anything daddy ever had to experience. You get what I'm saying? And, shoot, like, man.

• 52:16Fred Taylor?

  How do you commit to breaking the title, that cycle to ensure, you know, your kids don't have to follow in those same footsteps? Like, what are the steps? What do you do?

• 52:30Dez Bryant?

  Let me read something to you real quick, mean a lot to me. Man, I ain't trying to cry, but... Let me read something. It's been on my phone for five. Since I met y'all, it's probably been like six years, you know? It say, uh, break, break generational curses. Quit yelling at your kids before they go to bed and expect them to sleep well. Quit yelling at your kids in the morning right after they wake up before school inspector them to have a good day. You set the tone for your children. You set the tone for, you, you set the tone for your voice that were always remembering in their heads. You become their inner voice. Don't be their inner critic. Speak life, speak love, speak bravery, kindness and hope.

• 53:14Dez Bryant?

  Speak wisdom and truth. Most of all, listen to your children. I never had none of that. I get that to mine. And that's my number one priority. I follow that, that's how I break it. And, um, you know, so... And I do it, I live it. I live it, you know? That narrative shit, that's what they never wanted to pick up.

• 53:42Fred Taylor?

  Give me a second, bro.

• 53:47Dez Bryant?

  Pretty true for it.

• 53:48Fred Taylor?

  Damn, dog.

• 53:51Dez Bryant?

  You know, it's like...

• 53:56Dez Bryant?

  I'm gonna do it all in fashion, style. You get what I'm saying? Confidence, you know, and that's what I'm offering.

• 54:05Dez Bryant?

  You know, I feel like that's what was misunderstood, you know, so.

• 54:10Ryan Clark?

  I mean, we all have kids, man, and like, I couldn't imagine my children having to tell this story. Just knowing how much I love them, knowing how much they mean to me. You know, when it started and you were talking about what you had to offer the NFL, I think this is what they needed to see more so than reading your tweets in defense of athletes.

• 54:40Ryan Clark?

  There's a real pain, there's a, there's a real hurt, but there's also a real perseverance. And when you brought up how you want it to be and what you have been to your kids, it made me think about your touchdown at the Ravens. When you said your daughter encouraged you to play. And you couldn't wait to FaceTime her, you wanted to, you dedicated that game ball to her. How does that moment bring you full circle from everything you dealt with as a child to being the sort of father who listens, like you said, who listens to his children, and you're able to share that moment with him?

• 55:22Dez Bryant?

  Oh, that moment was, that moment was extremist. I could tell you exactly, you know, what was going down. I was just chilling one day and my daughter was like, I was, I was working now. I would work out from here and there and my daughter was like, Daddy, I wanna see you on TV again. I want you to see you play football. I don't really understand that at the time. I wanna see you again. My, my boy, Junior, and he was like, Daddy, I wanna see you too. But it was really my baby girl. I said, you know what, all right, babe, I'm gonna get busy. We're gonna see what I can do, you know? So I got the training. I'm talking about I got the working out. It, it, it turned into therapy session for me, right?

• 56:03Dez Bryant?

  You know, whenever, you know, when I'm in between them lines, I'm a totally different guy, you know?

• 56:11Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest, or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior-like beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser-Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 56:39Dez Bryant?

  Well, you know, I was just grinding. I just, I just grind, you know, you know, faithfully. And I was calling my agent. I was like, hey, I want to get back out there. And Eric DeCosta, give a huge shout out to you. Coach Harbaugh, give a huge shout out to you guys. I remember when I first went out there to see if I can give it a go. Told me I need to get back, that I need to get in shape just a tad bit more. It was like, we see that you still got the ability. I'm like, all right, cool, bet. That's all I need to hear. If you gonna give me another shot, I'm gonna go back and I'm gonna work my ass off. When did that again? And I'll never forget, they gave me that second opportunity to come out there and train and work out. They told me they was gonna, you know, sign me.

• 57:24Dez Bryant?

  Signed me to the practice squad. I remember crying and I remember telling my daughter, like, hey, you better watch your daddy. Like, and I see the best feelings. And then just getting the opportunity to get in the game. I wasn't really expecting that. I was just like, you know, I just wanted to be there in the locker room and support. Like, I wasn't trying to take anybody's spot. It was really, you could ask any of them guys. I just wanted to be there and get a game. I just wanted to get a game and show guys how to be professionals, or whatever the case might be. You know, I just went to work every day. I just, I just practiced, I showed love and never forget, you know, Coach Harbaugh was gonna bring you up.

• 58:03Channing Crowder?

  What was it like going from a number one receiver on America's team to going to that guy?

• 58:07Dez Bryant?

  Oh, man, I'm gonna be honest with you. I have no hate. I ain't have none of that in my heart. And that was another reason why I went to, you know, why I wanted to play football again. It was because I just wanted to just be in the locker room, you know, with the guys and just help any type of way that I can. And I kind of feel like I did. I'll never forget, Marquise Brown, he said, as long as I've been in the NFL... This short period of time you been here, it was something along those lines. This is the most I learned. You know, so when he told me that, and you know, he gave me credit for that. That made me feel so good because that was my real reason of wanting to be there. Like, and when I got there, like, I just wanted to show guys how to be over there, how to practice. Because I practice hard. Like, hey, when there's a rep,

• 58:52Dez Bryant?

  we for the take advantage of this rep.

• 58:54Speaker 05

  Right.

• 58:55Dez Bryant?

  You know, and I saw guys, you know, that was shit, that was following that plan. You know, and that's all I cared about. You know, I left a mark. That's what it was, you know. So I appreciate them guys for giving me that opportunity.

• 59:07Ryan Clark?

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• 59:51Fred Taylor?

  You said you left Mark.

• 59:53Dez Bryant?

  Yeah.

• 59:53Fred Taylor?

  You're gonna forever be a Dallas Cowboy.

• 59:56Dez Bryant?

  Oh, facts.

• 59:56Fred Taylor?

  You're one of the founders of the 88 Club. And who we have, C.D., he went and just broke all the records.

• 1:00:06Dez Bryant?

  Went dumb, dumb.

• 1:00:07Fred Taylor?

  Right. A lot of great players, though, that have worn that 88. How was your heart here in Dallas?

• 1:00:17Dez Bryant?

  Man, first and foremost, whenever C.D. got drafted, you know, I reached out to C.D. and I was like, you know, anything you need, you know, I got you. You know, I understand this a lot more than, I understand the game, I understand the branding. And that's kind of where I wanted to go with it when it came to C.D. I was like, man, I want you to take advantage of all these moments. It's best to get it now while you're young. You get what I'm saying? Let's not wait. This is a moment, you know. 88 Club. And, um...

• 1:00:50Dez Bryant?

  We finally done bought into it. And, you know, I embrace that faithfully. The support, the love that I have for Irv, Drew, Pearson, especially him. I think C.D. gonna go down as the best one. If you ask me.

• 1:01:04Fred Taylor?

  The game has changed. He'll get more opportunities.

• 1:01:06Dez Bryant?

  C.D. sweeter than him.

• 1:01:09Fred Taylor?

  He wanna try some shit.

• 1:01:10Dez Bryant?

  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Is C.D. sweeter than you? Hey, hey, we all, we all different. I'm just saying, like, yeah, like, you broke record, bruh. Is C.D. sweeter than you? I'm gonna be honest with you. I think it's, you know, I think it's different. You know, I think Pearson different than Drew. I think I'm different than Irv. I think I'm different than C.D. I just think that the game has evolved. Like, Coach Garrett, let me tell you something, man. Don't even get me started. But I'll say his name. Get me started, you know? He, feel like he never had my back. Feel like he never supported me. I feel like I was only indebted because of Jerry. You know, I'll never forget going into our office trying to express to him who I was. He never gave me an opportunity to be myself. He one of those guys, and yeah, I said it, Mr. Clapper. You know, but, um...

• 1:01:55Ryan Clark?

  So, this is my, this is the question. I've been, the interview's been so good, and you've been burying your soul. So, I was like, I don't wanna... How much different is your life and career if they don't overturn Des' card?

• 1:02:08Dez Bryant?

  That year, I was against all odds. People talk about that catch. It wasn't even about the catch. It's about what I was defeating before the catch. I was in my contract year. And I'll never forget, you know, oh, I fired everybody. This is when I'm coming into myself. I fired everybody, my agent, marketing. I'm talking about, Shan, I got these boys to fuck... I almost said something. Got them to fuck about it. I got them to fuck about it because they meant me no good. You know, I feel like that was all in cahoots trying to, you know, keep me down. But that's a whole nother story, too. We can have a part two about all this shit. But Jerry, he invited me to, um... Oh, he wanted to meet with me. We went to the stadium.

• 1:02:53Dez Bryant?

  And we were talking about the contract. You know, he tried to get me to sign a contract I ain't like. I thought it was some bullshit. And I was like, I ain't this dumb. Ten years for a hundred million dollars, twenty million guaranteed? I'm not that dumb. First off, I know, I just played five years, so I know I'm not to play another ten. I'm not expecting to play another ten. So it's like, twenty million dollars guaranteed, I'm seeing what's going on. So it's like, nah, nah, I'm scoring at will. So it's like, nobody getting in the end zone the way I'm getting in the end zone. So, you know, it's like, I ain't taking that shit.

• 1:03:29Fred Taylor?

  They gonna cut your ass a year too.

• 1:03:31Dez Bryant?

  Oh, so look, check this out, check this out. So, you know, we going through it, we going through the motion or whatever. And I'm listening to him, you know, and I kinda interrupted him a little bit. I stood up and I was like, hey, Mr. Jones, you see that field down there? I say, you, you, you think you can, I say, you think you can cover me? He said, nah, you are, you are destroying me. And I said, what you, I said, so what makes you think that I can sit here and negotiate a contract with you?

• 1:04:03Dez Bryant?

  Just like that. And then, right after that, he got talking about, you know, trades and things like that. I remember walking out there, motherfucker said, I'll take my chance, trading.

• 1:04:16Dez Bryant?

  Trading. I just kept Redhead job, I kept Romo job, that's how I'm feeling. You get what I'm saying? Like, real talk, like, I was feeling that way. And Witten job, I kept their job, I saved y'all face. Y'all finna start putting respect on my name. That's kinda how I felt. Even doing all of that, I was like, man, what the hell I'm about to do? I ain't got no agent, I ain't got nothing. I know y'all, while working out at Valley Ranch, working out, I get a call. Hove wanna meet me, Roc Nation, Hove wanna meet me. Hopefully, I meet in New York. You know, the next day, I'm on a call, next day, I'm in New York. And I'll never forget, we at the Barclay Center, he getting ready for his show.

• 1:05:00Dez Bryant?

  And I ain't even know he had a show, but then people was like, I'm like, damn, I finna meet. All these people out here, Jay got a show, and I'm finna get ready to meet Jay. So, I'm walking in there, you know, honestly, I ain't lying to y'all, dawg, like, door open. I see Beyonce over there.

• 1:05:20Dez Bryant?

  I see Kelly rolling over there.

• 1:05:24Dez Bryant?

  Blue over there in the corner, she got a big guy over there around him. Emery over there, he just got out of jail. Jay over at the table, you got OG One over here, I'm like, ah, man. Boss is up in this motherfucker, like, I'm talking about one of my partners gonna tell me, man, my knee's down there buckled.

• 1:05:45Dez Bryant?

  I'm like, look, I'm over there, hey, bruh, chill, bruh. So, but, you know, like, I ain't gonna lie, but by the time I got to that, to that, um, to my seat, all that old Star Trek shit went out the window. You know, and I just kept it real with him. I was like, man, I don't really know much.

• 1:06:03Dez Bryant?

  I wanna be able to take care of my family, um, I need help, you know, and, um, one thing I can say about Hov, uh, you know, he put the right people around me, and that's why I always got love for him, that's why I always, you know, show love, you know, for Rock and, and all that stuff, because I've been around these other agencies. Yeah, a lot of them cool and whatever the case might be, but I know what they done for me. You get what I'm saying? And, um, Hov, to me, he a stand-up guy, you know, he ain't have to do none of that. I end up going with Rock, or I signed with Rock, but my contract didn't come until after the season. So, let me, let me get back to that part, so let me go back to all of the bullshit that I went through

• 1:06:45Dez Bryant?

  in 2014, that I feel like that was way much bigger than the catch, what people don't really know about, like, I'll never forget the London game, we go to London, I don't know if y'all remember that. I never said this to nobody, but I'm not making this up, this is the truth. I got drunk every single night I was there. Why? Cause I was depressed, you know, and I was like, I was like, I, I can't win, you know, all this bad stuff. Somebody said I locked my, my kid in the car. I'm like, what? When the fuck did I do that? When did I lock my kid in the car? I'm gonna tell you what's even more crazy, right? So, y'all know this, when it's time to go, it's two buses, right?

• 1:07:28Dez Bryant?

  It's two buses. They knock on the door, hey, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Like, you getting on the first bus, or you getting on the second bus, you know, you got people to go around to check. These motherfuckers left me. No deal.

• 1:07:40Ryan Clark?

  Dez, it's actually your job.

• 1:07:41Dez Bryant?

  Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, hear me out. But nah, we had people, you know, that would knock on the door. And guess what? And you know, when you, when you get on the bus, we checking, you know, we checking it off. So if somebody ain't here, we gonna make a call.

• 1:07:56Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 1:07:57Dez Bryant?

  So, alright, so I'm looking at my schedule. I feel like I'm overprepared, like I'm, I'm ready to go. Man, tell me why they, they left me. Ain't nobody hit me up or nothing. Mike, real talk. Hear, hear me out, hear me out, just hear me out. You know, the motherfucker at the hotel. The only motherfucker, ay, one of the best, ay, one of the, one of the best players on the team.

• 1:08:22Fred Taylor?

  That's the crazy part. That's the crazy part, though. Cause you got dudes, I'm sure you ride on the same bus every away game. From the hotel to the, well, it's bus one or two.

• 1:08:33Dez Bryant?

  Facts.

• 1:08:34Fred Taylor?

  In the same area, your boy's gonna hold your seat down. What they was, why they didn't hit you?

• 1:08:39Dez Bryant?

  Man, it wasn't them. I ain't blaming it on them. I'm blaming it on the organization.

• 1:08:43Fred Taylor?

  I'ma hit, I'ma, I'ma call you.

• 1:08:43Dez Bryant?

  It was contract.

• 1:08:44Fred Taylor?

  I'ma call RC.

• 1:08:45Dez Bryant?

  It's conspiracy.

• 1:08:46Fred Taylor?

  I'ma, I'ma tell the old boy, I'ma say, Skip, the security, we can't leave yet. RC ain't on the bus. Chan ain't on the bus, he sit right here, every week.

• 1:08:56Dez Bryant?

  Facts.

• 1:08:56Fred Taylor?

  I know you don't wanna throw your dogs, but they gotta hit you, Dez. They gotta hit you.

• 1:09:00Dez Bryant?

  I got a story about all that.

• 1:09:01Fred Taylor?

  We ain't gotta get into it, but they gotta hit you.

• 1:09:04Dez Bryant?

  But, but didn't have no bad product.

• 1:09:06Ryan Clark?

  Did you get a taxi to the game?

• 1:09:07Dez Bryant?

  Nah, nah, I'm on the bus where it's just, you know, I wanna say the people, I don't know, all the rich people.

• 1:09:14Fred Taylor?

  Like the sponsors?

• 1:09:15Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, the sponsors, nah, them people. I'm on bus with them. I'm looking at NFL Network.

• 1:09:21Dez Bryant?

  Dez Brown, he left his, he locked his son in the car. I'm like, this is going on.

• 1:09:26Fred Taylor?

  Real time.

• 1:09:27Dez Bryant?

  But real time before the game. And I'm not understanding, you know, what is happening, but this is during my contract year. So now I get to the stadium, I bullshit y'all night. Man, I see all them cameras outside. My heart drop. I say, oh shit.

• 1:09:46Dez Bryant?

  I said, "Oh shit." Real talk. Bruh. They ain't give a damn. Clarence over there smoking a cigarette. Like, I'm like, "Damn, y'all ain't finna report me? Y'all ain't finna report none of this?" So I walk up in there, I'm hot though. When I tell you I'm hot, I went the fuck off. I'm yelling at Coach Garrett. I'm yelling at Jim. I'm getting my ankle tape. Jerry come over there, he put his hand on me. I knocked his hand out for me, like, "Man, y'all left me, like, man, what's going on? It's some bullshit." Rock, they calling me, telling me to calm down. The word ain't got back somehow, some way. I'm like, "Man, hell nah." So, and then I'm going, I'm mad because what I just saw on TV,

• 1:10:32Dez Bryant?

  and it's right before a game. And I bullshit you not, man. We on, we don't, we don't, we bout to get a lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars. They really sorry at this time. You know, this is, this is a, you know, They always been sorry. We supposed to wipe them out, right? So, we damn it, we finna lose to them. I don't touch the ball in the first quarter. That's how I knew JG had something against me. I don't touch the ball in the first quarter. I'm hot, right? I'm, I'm hot. This, this when I start, you know, I'm really barking back at the organization and everybody. All right, second quarter. "I know you motherfuckers got throwing this ball." They, they running me on these bullshit ass routes, right? So I run a drag across the field. I run across the field during Romo like this.

• 1:11:14Dez Bryant?

  "Give me the ball." I'm finna take this motherfucking scope. He threw me the ball, I run behind the line of scrimmage. Get that bitch, turn it up. House call. Hit him with the "uh, uh, uh, uh." Not to the fans, this to the organization. "Don't pay me my money."

• 1:11:31Dez Bryant?

  So, look, check this out. This all happening in the second quarter. So, shit, we get the ball again. Romo call the play. I supposed to have a stop route. I said, "Hey, if he press, I'm going vertical." I'm telling you that right now. I'm not running no stop route. Romo trying to tell me, "Run stop route." I ain't running, I'm telling you, I'm not running this stop route if he, if he press me. Guess what he do? Mr. Badass won't depress me.

• 1:11:59Dez Bryant?

  Grab him by the arm, yanked him down, Romo then threw it to me. I'm talking about I'm running back in the end zone, got him stiff on him like this right here. Guess what I do? Flip the ball back.

• 1:12:12Dez Bryant?

  Everybody, the organization, JG, they all knew who that was for. They knew who that shit was for. I ain't see that ball no more after that.

• 1:12:22Dez Bryant?

  I ain't see that ball. I ain't see that ball no more after that.

• 1:12:27Ryan Clark?

  Well, how the hell you get to the catch there?

• 1:12:29Dez Bryant?

  I mean, alright, so, so check this out. Like, it was just, it got to a point to where it was like, all this negative shit was coming out about me, honestly. Like, it was non-stop, weekly, non-stop. And I really had to just like, turn it off. I had to go numb. It was like, man, I ain't dealing with this shit, man. I'mma do things my way. Like, I feel like, you know, I'm, want to destroy me because I ain't following rules that don't fit who I am. And, to me, I just feel like all of the things that I overcame and, I don't know, that, to me, that, I been, I, I don't know.

• 1:13:10Dez Bryant?

  I don't know, I just feel like, to me, that was, that was overcoming them odds and getting through that season, performing the way that I perform, you know, outweighed, weighed that catch. Like, I feel like, even though I feel like it was a catch, like, obviously. I just feel like what I've been through, what I went through that entire season, this is more than what I'm saying. I feel like that outweighed that.

• 1:13:31Ryan Clark?

  So I have a question. With all of those feelings, you know, you have intimated or hinted towards feeling that players around the locker room and people within the building were a reason why you were eventually released. Do you still feel that way?

• 1:13:49Dez Bryant?

  Oh, absolutely. Some players. So, oh man, the year I got released, seventeen, right? Seventeen.

• 1:13:56Ryan Clark?

  It was the year, it was eighteen, but seventeen was the last season.

• 1:14:00Dez Bryant?

  My last season, right. Oh, man, I can't believe I'm telling this story. I'm giving it to you guys, I get how this. It was, you remember when Donald Trump had said, he calls us sons, sons of bitches? That was the third week of the season. I'll never forget, um, me, I'm coming in the locker room, I'm, I'm, I'm down there late. You know, we gotta be sitting out here, it's seven thirty, I walk up in this motherfucking seven twenty. I remember, I ain't gonna say his name, but a player, he came and was like, "Man, you see this Donald Trump saying right here?" You know, I go, you know, I'm talking about everybody around my locker. Like, "You see this?" And I was like, I'm looking at it a little bit. Coach Garrett, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna keep saying his name. Coach Garrett, he was like, "Boys, it's time to get to the meetings."

• 1:14:45Dez Bryant?

  So I don't get an opportunity to really, you know, look at it and digest it the way I wanted to. So, alright, so we sitting up in there, you know, Coach Dooley, the first thing that he say was, "Yeah, I know you guys saw, you know, Donald Trump and said this and said this and..." You know, he was asking for opinions. I really can't give an opinion, 'cause I really don't know nothing. You know, I see some, certain guys, you know, my dog over there, Dub, he like, "Shit, he almost wanna walk up out this hole," you know? So, and I, and I, and I kinda get it. So, alright, so, this when it really got weird. So it's time to go to practice. So we on, we go to practice.

• 1:15:26Dez Bryant?

  The PR guy, you know, we do all the media stuff after practice. He walking back and forth, back and forth on the practice field, back and forth on the practice field. And I'm like, "Man, what the fuck is really going on? Like, this shit really that serious? Really that serious?" So, I remember after practice, you know, 'cause now I'm in practice, but I'm hearing guys talk about it. I still ain't saw the video yet, but I'm hearing guys talk about it. They really bothered. So, I'll never forget after practice, we recall practice up, and Coach was like, he was like, "I'm sure you guys, you know, aware of, you know, what our president has said, or blaj, blaj, blaj." He went into kinda explaining, like, he tried to give us some type of example of,

• 1:16:11Dez Bryant?

  some type of heart, I, I don't know, some, some shit about him at Princeton. And I remember he kept talking, and I kinda, I respectfully interrupted him, and I was like, "Hey, hey, hey, Coach, do you understand?" Steady trying to go on and on. I said, "Coach, I don't, you know, I don't mean no disrespect, but do you understand?" I said, "Some of us like to go back home." I said, and I learned this through the, through the players, you know, I'm listening to, you know, what they saying in practice. I said, "Y'all went and talked. Y'all went, talked and spoke on our behalf, saying that we wasn't gonna take no knee." I say, like, and that's when I got saying, like, a lot, a lot of us like to go back home. Like, we have to deal with that stuff.

• 1:16:55Dez Bryant?

  Like, "Oh, we coons and we this and, and we that and..." Like, they ain't give us the opportunity to even, you know, voice our opinion. Y'all already spoke for us. So I'll never forget, you know, I said that, I said that, and, um,

• 1:17:10Dez Bryant?

  I felt like that's when the fire, that's when shit really broke. Coach Garrett was like, "Do anybody have anything to say?" It was so quiet, you could hear a pen drop. Nobody said nothing. So, a- and still at this time, we break and we getting ready to go in the locker room, I ain't really thinking too much of it. So, as I'm walking to the locker room, I got guys coming to tap me on my shoulder talking about, "Man, I appreciate you, man, appreciate you for saying something." And, but in my brain, I'm like, "Man, these niggas done left me out to try."

• 1:17:42Dez Bryant?

  Nah, like... Appreciation.

• 1:17:46Dez Bryant?

  Nah, that, that's where my mind took me, right then and there. Ah, I ain't really too much, you know, I, I snapped back into it and, you know, I'm, I'm just thinking about everything and, I'm like, "Damn," you know? I'm just like, I'm like, "What the fuck is really going on?" You know, so I'm, I go look at the video. First thing I said, "Oh, nah, this, this ain't cool, right? This motherfucker, he just saying anything he want." You know, and, and plus, I don't judge, you know, uh, you know, people who they are. But anyway, I was standing up for my guys, to be honest, so... And by the way, we had about ten, ten meetings about the same shit, you know, over the weekend. I'm like, "What you having all these meetings for?"

• 1:18:28Dez Bryant?

  You know, some of us talking about we gonna take a knee and some guys talking about, you know, um, you know, they ain't gonna take a knee, but we already had it made up in our mind that, "Hey, man, we could take a knee," and it ain't really even no, you know, it's not a problem. So, all right, so, I gotta say how this, so we, I gotta, yeah, JG, I'm finna, I'm finna, I'm finna put your ass out there. We were talking, I can't make this up, it's the truth, so... Me and, I remember we had a meeting, we break that meeting. Me and Skandrick go, me and Skandrick go to JG. Skandrick can vouch for this. We go to, we go to JG and be like, hey.

• 1:19:05Dez Bryant?

  Skandrick say, hey, me and AD, we, we gonna take a knee. Coach Garrett say, "Okay, cool, whatever you boys decide to do, you know, we behind you, whatever." Blashe, blashe, blashe. But the way he said that, I was like, nah, hell nah, he ain't right. So, all right, he walk away. He walk away. He go to his room or whatever. Skandrick was like, "Hey, hey, hey, let's go get something to eat." I was like, nah, I say, "He ain't right. I can tell he ain't right." He was like, "Man, I'm telling you, you could." I said, "Nah, nah, I'mma get with you." So, I go ask the, you know, the travel people who take our stuff, you know, "What's room Coach Garrett in?"

• 1:19:43Dez Bryant?

  Man, I ain't never been to his room on the road, never, ever in my life. So, he gave me his room number. So, shit, I go to knock on his door. I go up there and knock on his door, but before he open the door, he was like, "Come here, come here." I don't know what I'mma do, man. I don't, I don't, I ain't never saw this motherfucker in this type. I ain't never in my life saw him react like this, ever in my life. He was like, "I just got off the phone with Charlotte. You know, she gonna, you know, she gonna, you know, she gonna make sure everything get straight, gonna be cool." Charlotte text me. And the way Charlotte text me, I still got the message in my phone. The way she text me was if, you know, I'm overreacting. And I was like, "Man, I know I ain't overreacting. I just said, I'm gonna take a motherfucking knee."

• 1:20:29Dez Bryant?

  I ain't, it ain't no problem, it ain't no, "Hey, man, I'm, I'm being supportive." You know, so I leave his room. Cause I'm like, this is some odd ass shit. I already know, you, you the type of guy go stand in the mirror and practice your, your speeches. Nothing about you real, buddy. So, just, just keeping, nah, nah, just keeping it real, you know, you know, like, so.

• 1:20:52Dez Bryant?

  Left there, I told Scary, I said, "Man, I told you he wasn't right." Told him everything, you know, what had went on or whatever. So anyway, the next day, we get to the game, right? We get to the game. We had about two or three meetings again. I'm like, "Hey, man, we already said we finna take a knee. What's going on? Like, what are we even talking about? Like, for real, like, what are we talking about?" Get to the locker room, Jerry come up in that motherfucker. First thing Jerry start talking about, basically, he was just basically just saying, you know, speaking about his brand, "Ah, shit. We ain't finna fuck up his brand." Basically, what he saying, you get what I'm saying? "We gonna take a knee together, we gonna do it for the national anthem." But in my brand, I'm like, "That's defeating the purpose."

• 1:21:35Dez Bryant?

  I'm like, "What's the point of, what's the point of us even doing it?" So, and I'll never forget this, and I'm gonna say this too. Kayvon Frazier, he was a rookie at this time. That was our, that was our best special team player, was a rookie. I remember him put the, I remember him putting his fist up. His ass did not dress up the next two weeks without pay. Did not. Did not. He was our best special teams player. And I have no hate towards, you know, Mr. Jones at all, because I felt like I learned a lot from him. Really have learned a lot from him, far as like on the business side of things and, you know, how he runs. I don't think nobody in the game better than him when it come to business. So let's just, let's make that clear. Yeah, man, I think this is the best Cowboy team I saw in a long time.

• 1:22:20Dez Bryant?

  I love Dak and C.D. Connection. I think they the best in the game. You know, like, I kinda wish me and Rummo had that, you know what I'm saying?

• 1:22:28Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, 120, 120 receptions, he ain't gonna do this.

• 1:22:32Dez Bryant?

  Yeah, I ain't never saw that.

• 1:22:34Ryan Clark?

  You stop giving them the pressure, they might not, they might have kept throwing you the ball.

• 1:22:39Dez Bryant?

  Hey, facts. They got the talent. I think they the overall best timed team in the NFL besides the Baltimore Ravens.

• 1:22:45Ryan Clark?

  Now, you look at Mike McCarthy, he's a Super Bowl winning coach. Is he the coach to take? This great collection of talent to the ultimate prize, which is the Lombardi.

• 1:22:57Dez Bryant?

  1,000%, you know, 1,000%, you know, I really do think that he is the right fit for it. I like the way, I really loved how, you know, I like how he developed guys.

• 1:23:08Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, he took over for Kellen Moore this year and look at the team.

• 1:23:11Dez Bryant?

  Yup, I like how he give his playmakers chances to beat them. He put them in a position that fits them. That's what I, that's what I've always respected about Coach McCarthy, even when he was with the Packers. I was like, man, Jordy Nelson, who Jordy Nelson? You gotta know Jordy Nelson to know Jordy Nelson, and look what he did for Jordy Nelson.

• 1:23:29Ryan Clark?

  Jordy Nelson gave me hell.

• 1:23:31Fred Taylor?

  Hey.

• 1:23:31Ryan Clark?

  Jordy Nelson.

• 1:23:31Channing Crowder?

  That white boy used to eat you up?

• 1:23:33Ryan Clark?

  Jordy Nelson's a good player, boy.

• 1:23:35Fred Taylor?

  And he would catch them bombs. Hey, he would catch them deep.

• 1:23:39Dez Bryant?

  I remember him at Kansas State, I'm talking about going crazy. Randall Cobb, quarterback, you get what I'm saying? Just, just, just look how he developed them guys and it's like, and now he's doing this with, you know, real premier talent. Look at what he doing, you know, so I, I really do, I, I thank you the man for the job. And, um, and he did it in a short period of time.

• 1:24:00Channing Crowder?

  I, I get messy at the end.

• 1:24:02Dez Bryant?

  Get messy.

• 1:24:03Channing Crowder?

  Would you rather play for Dak or Romo?

• 1:24:08Dez Bryant?

  I like Dak right now. I like Dak.

• 1:24:11Channing Crowder?

  You, would your career been better if Dak was slanging that, slanging that biscuit to you?

• 1:24:15Dez Bryant?

  I think my career would be better if it was Coach McCarthy being the coach at that time. You get what I'm saying?

• 1:24:22Channing Crowder?

  He was not a, he did not maximize guys.

• 1:24:25Dez Bryant?

  That's how I feel. I feel like he always was preaching about, you know, let's not lose, lose opportunity, boys. I'm like, but you, you the, you the head man in charge. Not putting us in the best position to, to really go out here and do things. I hated when it was third down. Everybody knew the ball was coming to me. So it was, it was bad, you know, and it was like, still gotta make them plays, get it right.

• 1:24:45Fred Taylor?

  I won't go messy that way, but I want to ask you, the quarterbacks of two of your former teams. Dak and Lamar, who's the MVP?

• 1:24:53Dez Bryant?

  Oh, man, that's great, that's a great question. Both guys are deserving of the award.

• 1:24:57Fred Taylor?

  Yup.

• 1:24:58Dez Bryant?

  They are, they are. But the only reason why I would say Lamar Jackson, the only reason why I would say Lamar, because that team don't function without him. It, it does not, Baltimore is not Baltimore without him. You get what I'm saying? And I just think with all the, the adversity that he been through and. Steady, you know, being an overachiever. And the year he's had, the best regular in the National Football League. I love the Todd Munkin hire. I made that comment on your post the other day. I really do think that Todd Munkin and Lamar is equivalent to Mahomes and Reid.

• 1:25:35Ryan Clark?

  Oh, wow.

• 1:25:36Dez Bryant?

  I believe that, deep in my heart. Like, you can go back and check my tweets. Soon as they hired Munkin, I was like, oh, yeah, they going to the Super Bowl. Lamar winning MVP. This was in February. This way before the season even started. You know, because I got the opportunity to play with Lamar. I didn't like how, I didn't, Coach Harbaugh, you know, you know, y'all know I like speaking that real. It wasn't Harbaugh fault. You know, I didn't like how Lamar was being coached, from what I saw. I feel like the dude was extremely too talented. I feel like if you just challenge him just a tad bit, we gonna see something that ain't never been done. And I also said this too. We still yet to see how great the Ravens are, right now.

• 1:26:21Dez Bryant?

  I believe that, on the offensive side of football. That's how dominant they are. I feel like Todd Munkin went in there. I feel like he learned Lamar. And he built around Lamar. I didn't see that when I was there. You know, I saw things when Todd Munkin was with Georgia. The little sweeps with the quarterback, getting the lime in the pool over here. Saw the same thing with Lamar. I was like, I was like, ooh, he do that with Lamar? Oh, my gosh. You get what I'm saying? And, you know, because Stetson Bennett, you know, he kinda, he not kinda, but he's athletic. He can run a little bit. And, but, yeah, man, just to see, you know, I already knew that was the perfect fit. That's the perfect match.

• 1:27:07Dez Bryant?

  You know, Ravens got to lock Coach Munkin up, you know, if they want to get the best of Lamar. I don't think no other offensive coordinator in the National Football League can bring the best out of Lamar the way Coach Munkin.

• 1:27:18Ryan Clark?

  Dez, man, you gave us more than we bargained for, bro. That was excellent.

• 1:27:22Dez Bryant?

  I feel like I didn't give you all nothing.

• 1:27:23Ryan Clark?

  Nah, you see, you might have been the Cat Williams of wide receivers.

• 1:27:30Ryan Clark?

  Man, that was awesome, man. Hey, man, appreciate you being open and vulnerable too, man.

• 1:27:34Speaker 06

  Yes, sir, man.

• 1:27:34Ryan Clark?

  Appreciate that, man.

• 1:27:35Speaker 06

  No problem at all.

• 1:28:00Speaker 07

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

• 1:28:10Speaker 08

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