Dallas Cowboys and the NFL
Chad Peters: More with former Cowboy Nate Newton
Former Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton was in his usually talkative mood Wednesday. Attending training camp as an analyst for ESPN Radio, Newton talked all things Cowboys -- from guard Leonard Davis' huge contract to whether receiver Terrell Owens would have fit in with his Cowboys teams of the 1990s.
What do you think of Tony Romo's long-term future with the Cowboys?
Me, my assessment on Mr. Romo is I'm still in the wait-and-see mode. I know he's a hell of an athlete. I know that Jimmy Johnson likes him. I know that Deion Sanders likes him. But I'm still in the wait-and-see mode because I want to see if he has truly recovered from that blooper.
Where do you stand on Owens and how he fits in with the Cowboys?
T.O. is T.O., man. T.O. is not gonna change. What we've got to do if we plan to work with T.O. is make sure he's in the game plan early. I think he's one of those guys that if you show him he's in the game plan early, he'll be all right. He wants a chance to make plays. We've got to give him that chance early.
Could he have worked on your Cowboys teams in the '90s?
Yeah. Yeah, he could have worked with us. He would have had no other choice. The players were different.
Do you get jealous when looking at the reported $49.6 milion contract Davis got from the Cowboys this offseason?
You know what, man, when I see that, I'm proud of those guys. I think about guys that played 10 or 15 years before me and we went out on strikes and made things happen. . . . We've got this new deal working where guys get disability. This is what it's all about. Any veteran that's jealous of something he made happen, that's what we fought the wars for. You've got to be happy. I'm excited. But I want him to be Cowboy down, Cowboy bound and make this thing happen. That's all I care about. I don't care how much you make. Just play hard.
Romo had his botched snap in the playoffs against Seattle last season. What bloopers come to mind from your playing days?
Yeah, but our bloopers always came after we won like Leon Lett. We lost the Miami game (on Thanksgiving in 1993). But it was never that bad of a blooper. It didn't made or break us. I don't even think that (Romo's botched snap) made or broke us. Still, they (the Seahawks) had a chance to have the ball back. If he would have made that field goal, they would have had the ball back with enough time. It just depends on what type of fan you are and how you're looking at it.
The last time you were here at the Alamodome you watched your son, Tre, help lead Southlake Carroll to the Class 5A high school football state championship. What sort of memories does it bring back being here?
I was sore about two or three days after that because I tried to run and give him a hug (following Tre's 74-yard touchdown run) and he ignored me. That's the type of cat he is, I guess. He's in his own world. These new-cat type kids. If it'd have been me and I made a long run, I'd have looked my mom and dad up and gave them a big hug. But he just looked right past me, knowing I can't catch him.
Former Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton was in his usually talkative mood Wednesday. Attending training camp as an analyst for ESPN Radio, Newton talked all things Cowboys -- from guard Leonard Davis' huge contract to whether receiver Terrell Owens would have fit in with his Cowboys teams of the 1990s.
What do you think of Tony Romo's long-term future with the Cowboys?
Me, my assessment on Mr. Romo is I'm still in the wait-and-see mode. I know he's a hell of an athlete. I know that Jimmy Johnson likes him. I know that Deion Sanders likes him. But I'm still in the wait-and-see mode because I want to see if he has truly recovered from that blooper.
Where do you stand on Owens and how he fits in with the Cowboys?
T.O. is T.O., man. T.O. is not gonna change. What we've got to do if we plan to work with T.O. is make sure he's in the game plan early. I think he's one of those guys that if you show him he's in the game plan early, he'll be all right. He wants a chance to make plays. We've got to give him that chance early.
Could he have worked on your Cowboys teams in the '90s?
Yeah. Yeah, he could have worked with us. He would have had no other choice. The players were different.
Do you get jealous when looking at the reported $49.6 milion contract Davis got from the Cowboys this offseason?
You know what, man, when I see that, I'm proud of those guys. I think about guys that played 10 or 15 years before me and we went out on strikes and made things happen. . . . We've got this new deal working where guys get disability. This is what it's all about. Any veteran that's jealous of something he made happen, that's what we fought the wars for. You've got to be happy. I'm excited. But I want him to be Cowboy down, Cowboy bound and make this thing happen. That's all I care about. I don't care how much you make. Just play hard.
Romo had his botched snap in the playoffs against Seattle last season. What bloopers come to mind from your playing days?
Yeah, but our bloopers always came after we won like Leon Lett. We lost the Miami game (on Thanksgiving in 1993). But it was never that bad of a blooper. It didn't made or break us. I don't even think that (Romo's botched snap) made or broke us. Still, they (the Seahawks) had a chance to have the ball back. If he would have made that field goal, they would have had the ball back with enough time. It just depends on what type of fan you are and how you're looking at it.
The last time you were here at the Alamodome you watched your son, Tre, help lead Southlake Carroll to the Class 5A high school football state championship. What sort of memories does it bring back being here?
I was sore about two or three days after that because I tried to run and give him a hug (following Tre's 74-yard touchdown run) and he ignored me. That's the type of cat he is, I guess. He's in his own world. These new-cat type kids. If it'd have been me and I made a long run, I'd have looked my mom and dad up and gave them a big hug. But he just looked right past me, knowing I can't catch him.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:24 PM
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