IRVING, Texas - In a month, the Cowboys will likely see Jason Hatcher sign with another team. Once a fan favorite, Miles Austin has probably played his last game with the Cowboys as well.
Who knows what will happen with Anthony Spencer as he rehabs his knee injury and becomes a free agent in March. And there's even a chance the Cowboys will have to make a tough decision on DeMarcus Ware's future, although that still seems to be a little extreme.
Only time will tell if the Cowboys can recover with such changes on the field.
But one thing is for sure, the person they lost this week will be incredibly tough to replace.
If you didn't know the name Jancy Briles, it simply meant you didn't work here at Valley Ranch or weren't in the media. Her official title was media relations coordinator, but she was undoubtedly one of the best PR assistants in the NFL.
You probably know of her dad: the head coach of the Baylor Bears, Art Briles. The recent success and dramatic turnaround that has taken place down there in Waco is a credit to the hard work, desire and willingness to succeed of Coach Briles. But without a doubt, he passed that along to his daughter, Jancy, who was easily a Valley Ranch favorite, both for media-types like us, as well as everyone else she was associated with – the equipment guys, the trainers, the marketing folks, publications, Cowboys TV and definitely the coaching staff, which had her doing stat projects, something that might be abnormal for most media relations assistants.
Yet, there was nothing she couldn't do and always managed to do it, not only quickly, but also with a smile. [embedded_ad]
Jancy has decided to move on to take another job in another field. Tuesday marked the first day since 2005 that she has not been an employee with the Cowboys. Without a doubt, she'll be missed more than she knows.
Personally, she was the driving force in helping me write my first book – the authorized biography of Art Briles (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Briles-Looking-Journey-Tragedy/dp/1600789064). There's no way I could've been in position to write that without her, and nor would I have wanted to. She's also been very helpful as I finish up the process of my second book – a collection of Cowboys stories.
As for DallasCowboys.com, no one in the building has helped us more than Jancy, and I know I speak for all of us on staff, both past and present, in thanking her for her countless efforts to help, whether it was a much-needed stat or picture to help aid a story or maybe a heads-up on breaking news or sometimes just an idea on a slow day.
You won't find a person more organized, knowledgeable, efficient, accountable and also friendly than what the Cowboys had with Jancy Briles.
Good luck to her in the future. She will be – and already has been – missed.
