DALLAS - The grind of a 16-game season. A difficult road loss to the Packers. The prospect of two more games in the next nine days.
The Cowboys (6-3) have a lot on their minds as the holiday season approaches. But several players spent their day off Tuesday providing an early Thanksgiving dinner to more than 200 men and women at The Salvation Army homeless center in Dallas.
The players (most of the team's rookies, as well as veterans DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Tashard Choice, Duke Preston and Jesse Holley) donned red aprons and served meals during the lunch hour. Joining them were members the Dallas Cowboys Women's Association, Cowboys executive vice president Charlotte Anderson and Gene Jones, president of Gene and Jerry Jones Family Charities.
Comedian Billy Crystal, in town this week to perform his TONY Award winning Broadway show "700 SUNDAYS" at the new AT&T Performing Arts Center, also made a special appearance to help deliver meals.
"I think it definitely puts a perspective on where you're at," Witten said. "I made a comment to DeMarcus - you think about a loss to Green Bay and two games coming up in less than 10 days, and it's just nice to see this, to be a part of it, and see smiles on their faces."
Said Ware: "It's a sense of giving back. We see that we get a lot of things that they don't have, meaning some of the monetary things, some of the glory and fame playing with the Dallas Cowboys. But all that set aside, the things that really matters to us, and I'm talking about all the players, is giving back. Having that sense of humbleness, that's what we get back from here."
Witten and Ware presented Crystal with an honorary No. 9 jersey before the food was served.
"This isn't going to play well in New Jersey," the East Coast native joked.
"It's just a tribute to the Cowboys and all the teams in the NFL and in the NBA and Major League Baseball who take their time to give back to people. I've been doing it my entire career with (the fundraiser) "Comic Relief" with Robin (Williams) and Whoopi (Goldberg) and all the great comedians. I'm thrilled that the Jones family asked me."
Ware Confident in Free
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips hasn't named a replacement for injured starting right tackle Marc Colombo. But backup Doug Free is a leading candidate, having finished Sunday's game after Colombo left with a broken fibula/high ankle sprain.
Free has played sparingly since being drafted in the fourth round two years ago. But Ware, the Cowboys' Pro Bowl pass rusher, has seen his ability on a daily basis.
"He stops me a lot in practice," Ware said. "He's practiced against Greg (Ellis) when he was here, (Anthony) Spencer, a lot of good pass rushers. To be honest, Doug is really good. I think it's about him getting in there and getting his confidence.
"And even in practice I told him, 'Instead of you going against the second-team guy, I want to practice against you.' I'm going to go in there and help him this week to make sure he's ready. He's going to see the real thing in practice."
More on the Run
The Cowboys' lowest carry total of the season - 11 between Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice - has been a hot topic following Sunday's 17-7 loss.
Choice said the offense needs to establish the run each week, though he pointed out some situations - like negative plays - prevent it.
"But I think that's our biggest strength on our football team offensively is running the football," said Choice, who had three carries for 13 yards. "So we've got to get back to it like at the beginning of the season, which we will. They've got to feed Barber, they've got to feed Felix and when I can sneak myself in a crack here and there, I do my thing. It's cool."
Home | Email | Print | Register for New Alerts | RSS
Rob Phillips - 
