Playing for 'America's Team': The relentless pressure of life as a Dallas Cowboy
When you think of the Dallas Cowboys, names such as Deion Sanders, Troy Aikman, Emmett Smith, and Michael Irvin all enter the mind. Unfortunately for the franchise and owner Jerry Jones though, they all have one thing in common.
The Hall of Famers were all part of the last Super Bowl-winning team Dallas had back in 1995, extending their dominance during that decade after also winning in 1992 and 1993. The Cowboys are the second-most successful NFL franchise with five Super Bowl wins, but they're suffering a drought of almost three decades without success.
With Dak Prescott playing the best football of his life, Micah Parsons again in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb breaking records this season, everyone is aware that this year is their best chance to end the 28-year wait. There is also added pressure with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn being headhunted for a head coaching role elsewhere, so failure to lift the Lombardi Trophy this season could dramatically extend their current drought.
Due to the history and the added weight of expectation playing for 'America's Team', the pressure grows for the current players on the Cowboys roster with each unsuccessful season. That's exactly how Jason Bell felt when he joined the Cowboys in 2001, going undrafted but forming a special bond with the owner.
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"I came in and Emmett Smith and Darren Woodson were there. Larry Allen was there, guys that had won Super Bowls, and been on that team. So you felt that greatness," Bell told Mirror Sport via 888 Sport. "I remember Michael Irvin coming into the locker room and you'd hear him talking just in awe of who these people were.
"So for a young person, I understood how to go about my business because they were there. How to prepare, how to be a professional. So that was great. That helped me throughout my career. But you do look at those trophies and you come in and you think, 'I'm a Cowboy. I've made it, we're great.' But we hadn't done anything, so we weren't going to just get wins because they had Super Bowl trophies on the wall and because I was playing with Emmett Smith."
Due to Hall of Famers coming to the end of their time in Dallas, they were undergoing a transition and Bell admits that he only made the team due to a lack of cap space. "They had a lot of things going on when I was there with salary caps because they were still paying Troy Aikman and Deion Sanders, and I think Michael Irvin. So they didn't have a lot of money. That's how I made the team luckily enough."
Jason Bell signed for the Cowboys in 2001 after going undrafted (GETTY) Bell moved to the Houston Texans after a solo year in Dallas, and it was only then he realised the difference between wearing a Cowboys uniform and any other jersey in the NFL. "Every time you play for that star, you know the pressure's on because everybody's watching," he added.
"Everybody watches the Dallas Cowboys. When I was playing there, everybody knew I was in the NFL. But when I went to Houston and then for the majority of my career some people were like, 'Hey, where do you play again? Do you still play in the NFL?' It was a difference because everybody watched the Cowboys. It's the benefit of playing there.
"When Dallas is playing well, it's great for the NFL. But when Dallas isn't playing well, it's a conversation that's always had in the national media. It comes along with the standard of playing in Dallas and it's set from the top in ownership."
Jones hasn't always been the most popular owner and angered Cowboys fans right at the start of his tenure when firing head coach Tom Landry in 1989 on his very first day. Jones has taken control of the entire organisation, acting as president and general manager alongside being the owner, and even handing over future responsibilities to his son.
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Jerry Jones has been at the Cowboys since 1989 Bell believes Jones' attention to detail and obsession with the Cowboys was what made them successful, and his impact has not only taken Dallas to new heights but also the NFL. "I saw a lot of people have relationships with him. A lot of guys I knew could go right into his office and ask him questions or if they had concerns, go talk to him directly. And that was cool," Bell said.
"That doesn't happen everywhere. That was very unique. He's one of the only owners you call 'Jerry' as a lot of owners are 'Mr. This or Mr. That' but it was just 'Jerry.' He was one of the guys. I just really appreciate what Jerry Jones has done for the NFL. He has stood up on that mantle and always made sure you were talking about the Cowboys, always made sure you were talking about a storyline in the NFL and the growth of the game only comes because of pioneers like that."
Over 20 years have passed since Bell was with the Cowboys, but he's certain that the owner is still the same old 'Jerry' and has sustained the culture within the organisation. "I think he's aware of everything. I could see Jerry being involved in everything and knowing everything that was going on. He seems to really enjoy it," Bell added.
"That passion he has for the game is what makes the Dallas Cowboys 'America's Team'. When you have an owner that is invested like Jerry Jones was, it was comforting and you could tell that he just cared and he was willing to spend and do whatever needed."
Jones continues to be close with the Cowboys roster and does his best to keep players happy (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The rich history may be important for the Cowboys brand, but it doesn't impact how the team plays moving forward, and in some cases, it can actually hinder progression due to the pressure. Bell believes this is finally their time to go all the way, and it could be the most memorable yet with the Super Bowl being held in Las Vegas for the first time.
"It is their time. Mike McCarthy has had success in the regular season, they have a good record. Dak Prescott is playing his best football ever, this defence can get after you. They have one of the best players in the National Football League, Micah Parsons, so it feels like this is it for them.
"They have to go far in the playoffs and they definitely have to be one game away from the Super Bowl. If it's anything less than that, there is a problem in Dallas." Bell is also aware that DC Dan Quinn could leave the franchise in the offseason, someone who consistently leads one of the best defences in the league.
"You saw this happen in Philadelphia. Why are they struggling? They lost both their coordinators and you see the impact on the way they're performing," Bell explained. "So that would be a significant factor for the Cowboys if they lost Dan Quinn and that entire staff on the defensive side, because they're gonna go with him.
Dan Quinn could cause issues defensively if he seeks a head coach role elsewhere "So right now, if you're Dallas, you're lucky because you got two coaches and two play callers with head coach experience. Game management is significant as the game's going on, they're able to help each other. So that would be a big concern. And that's why they are a hot ticket right now and they need to take advantage of that."
The postseason begins at home to No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers on Jan. 14, a team that's experiencing their first playoff run without Aaron Rodgers since the early 2000s. Despite Packers quarterback Jordan Love ending the season on a hot streak, anything other than a Super Bowl appearance would be a failure for the Cowboys.
"It will be deemed a failure because that's the ultimate goal (Super Bowl). But regardless they have to win that one against the Packers although It's tough because Jordan Love is playing his best football right now," Bell said. "Dallas is a better team in my estimation, but you better go out there and recognise and prepare for all these young receivers and Jordan Love because they're going to test your secondary. So it should be very interesting."
Should the Cowboys reach the Super Bowl they'll likely meet with the San Francisco 49ers or Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship, but the attraction of 'America's Team' ending their drought in the Las Vegas strip is written in the stars. "If Dallas gets there, it's chaos. It's gonna be unbelievable. It's gonna be fantastic. And I think people that don't necessarily understand the strength of the Star, they will know it then," Bell said.
"The light will go off. They'll be like, 'Oh wow, okay. This is what it means to be a Cowboys fan and to be winning.' So yeah it would be unbelievable. And it would be fitting, right? Las Vegas, I mean everything you can have. The glitz, the glamour... Jerry Jones in Vegas? Jeez, it would be amazing."
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