FRISCO, Texas – Some things don't change much, at least not out here at The Star on Wednesday. As a prelude to Tyron Smith's retirement ceremony, he signed the perfunctory one-day contract to retire as a Cowboy after playing 13 of his 14 NFL seasons with Dallas.
The current members of the Cowboys offensive line, some football staff members and others in the organization hustled up to the front-entrance foyer to form a congratulatory line for the future Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle to walk through as he arrived.
Well, I'm told typical Tyron, who wasn't one to do many or really any interviews over his career, walked right through at first without saying a word to anyone. Just like his career, he always let his performance speak volumes.
But then after signing the one-day contract, sitting on the makeshift stage with Cowboys owners Jerry and Stephen Jones, Tyron had written a script of the things he wanted to say, thanking so many people who had helped him during his life to reach this stage at age 34. Who knew? Well-written. Inciteful. Funny. Endearing. All the things those close to him knew, including his mom, wife and kids, but he hesitant to share the few times he did interviews during a career that surely will land him as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. And, as Jerry Jones said, for sure in the Cowboys' hallowed Ring of Honor along with fellow offensive lineman Zack Martin, also retiring a month ago.
As a tribute to what Tyron meant to the Cowboys, not only was the ceremony/press conference attended by current players and coaches, but several of his former teammates saw fit to attend, too, like Martin, DeMarcus Ware, La'el Collins, Tyler Biadasz and former head coach Jason Garrett.
And as Tyron poetically said, you can't get to this end without honoring the beginning, and the beginning for Tyron and the Cowboys took place during the 2011 NFL Draft, the Cowboys, after a 6-10 season, owning the ninth pick in the first round.
Garrett remembers the specifics of that draft, Tyron becoming his first draft choice as an NFL head coach, and points this out: "Tom Landry's first draft choice was Bob Lilly. Jimmy Johnson's first draft choice was Troy Aikman." And Tyron was his.
"He represented everything you want your team to be," Garrett said of setting his team foundation with a 20-year-old out of Southern Cal.
Garrett also remembers the war room discussion when the Cowboys went on the clock that day at No. 9. Not a single offensive lineman had been taken over the first eight picks. And as previously the Cowboys' four-year offensive coordinator (2007-10), Garrett realized all of a sudden that the Cowboys offensive line had grown old.
They were moving on from such veteran stalwarts as Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and Andre Gurode. Doug Free and Kyle Kozier were nearing the end of their careers. The Cowboys needed to replenish the offensive line.
Well, as they went on the clock, there was a discission taking place about moving back in the draft to pick up an extra pick. That not only was Tyron Smith available, but two other offensive tackles with first-round grades were still on the board: Nate Solder and Anthony Castonzo.
But as Jerry Jones points out, Cowboys offensive line coach Hudson Houck "was laying in front of the train for Tyron, and Jason had a real affinity for changing our pattern of not taking that No. 1 pick and drafting offensive linemen."
The pick was handed in: The hulking 20-year-old kid from USC became the ninth pick in the draft, the Cowboys doing so for an offensive lineman for the first time since the 1981 draft.
"You're talking about rebuilding a team, going from a group of guys, and now you have none of them, and we're starting from scratch," Garrett said. "So drafting Tyron was a really important thing for us, and then the opportunity a couple of years later to add Travis [Frederick] and Zack.
'I talk a lot about cornerstone pieces. Those three guys are cornerstone pieces."
And another was added along with Martin in 2015, Collins, who, by the way, saw fit to attend the ceremony and said that after recovering from knee injuries, he's resumed working out and feels ready to take a shot at continuing his career.
With that backdrop, no accident Cowboys first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, also in attendance with his coaching staff, is putting a priority on protecting quarterback Dak Prescott and running the football.
Imagine that.
Now, neck injuries and an assortment of other ailments limited Tyron to playing in just 40 games over the last five seasons and but 10 of those this past year with the Jets, which led to this day. Although while decked out with a suit vest and matching pants and telling his guys he's at his playing weight of 318 pounds, physically he sure appeared no different than when he first walked into the Ranch back in April 2011.
And maybe standing out the most were those hands when gripping the commemorative black football the Cowboys presented him. Brought me back to his rookie year, maybe it was his second, when his guys, especially on defense, would talk about those 11-inch hands, his punch and a "death grip" that even Micah Parsons quicky learned to fear.
Sort of a "Hotel California" deal once he gets his hands on you: "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave."
Well, Tyron certainly left a legacy behind him here.
- Welcome Back Boil: Here is a new twist to the start of the Cowboys' offseason program, which began on Monday, a week later than teams with new head coaches were allowed since Schottenheimer thought it more important for his new staff to continue working on draft preparation and their own orientation. The players were greeted for lunch with a massive crawfish boil. Am told the company Meat Church out of Waxahachie boiled up nearly 100 pounds of crawfish out here at The Star, then dumped those critters on a bunch of tables likely stretched for 25 yards for some good eatin'. Didn't appear to be any leftovers.
- Tap The Brakes: Great to hear Prescott giving positive updates on how well his rehab is progressing following the surgery to reattach his hamstring tendon to his bone. And can attest to Dak having moved on from working drills on the resistance cords to now doing some of those drills without the cords. Seems to be running well, too. But as for him saying he could play a game today might be a stretch, unless of course it's 7-on-7 with no pass rush. Don't think you want him throwing in a bunch of traffic yet. And while he will be ready for the start of training camp, got a feeling that unless you come to watch practices at camp, probably won't see him involved in contact until, oh, Sept. 7. When it counts.
- Tap The Brakes II: Great that Parsons was here for the Cowboys' first official day of "voluntary" offseason workouts, which consisted of meetings and strength and conditioning. No coaches involved in those workouts. No footballs. Key thing will be if Parsons is participating with his teammates on a consistent basis, and at least he was in attendance at the retirement ceremony for Tyron. Also, let's not forget to temper any handwringing over contract negotiations since Parsons IS under contract for the 2025 season, the Cowboys picking up his guaranteed fifth-year option for 24 million smackeroos. No matter what, ain't turning his back on that.
- What A Week It Was: Occurred to me the dates at the start of this week had some significance to them, more so than having to file our taxes and pay the IRS anything we might owe by April 15. Sure enough, it was 36 years ago on April 14, 1989, Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White announced his retirement, the former second pick in the 1975 NFL Draft concluding a star-studded 14-year career with the Cowboys. Following the 1988 season, after starting just one game due to displaced neck disks, the 36-year-old White was quoted as saying, "When the doctors start talking about wheelchairs and partial paralysis, it's time to retire."
- Also 36 Years Ago: On this very day, too, we reported Cowboys new owner Jerry Jones, holding the first pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, began negotiations with likely first pick Troy Aikman, the quarterback out of UCLA, and his agent Leigh Steinberg back when teams with the top selection in the draft were able to actively negotiate a contract prior to the official pick. This was a day of note since the Cowboys were playing coy with their interest in Aikman, Jones and new head coach Jimmy Johnson publicly trying to gain some negotiating leverage with their expressed indifference.
- April 18, 1989: On this date in history, the NFL owners at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City approved owner Bum Bright's sale of the Cowboys to Jones, which coincided with the franchise's original president and general manager Tex Schramm's departure from the team after 29 years and becoming the president of the International Football League, the forerunner to NFL Europe. Also coincided with Jones showing his preference to drafting Aikman by saying, "Make no bones about it, we feel Troy Aikman would be a great Cowboy. We certainly think Troy is probably the top pick in the draft." Heaven forbid if he wasn't.
- April 20, 1989: Not just my late parents 43rd anniversary, the Cowboys held a press conference to announce the signing of Aikman, three days prior to the start of the April 23 draft. My, how times have changed because back then Aikman's six-year, $11.037 million deal, including a $2.75 million signing bonus, was considered the largest rookie contract, and he became the third-highest paid player in the NFL.
- Words To Be Forgotten: First Aikman, "I made no bones about it. All along Dallas is where I wanted to be." And the rookie vowing to donate $1,000 to charity for every Cowboys win that season, a gracious intention until Dallas won only one game that 1-15 season of 1989. Then there was this from former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann, masquerading as an ESPN NFL Draft analyst who couldn't hide his disdain for the Cowboys, saying, "They're taking Aikman to sell tickets. Cowboy fans are a spoiled, fickle bunch. Aikman is not an impact player like Randy White or Tony Dorsett." Oh, Joe, say you didn't say so of the guy eventually finishing a 12-year career with three Super Bowl rings and a bust in the Hall of Fame.
And so only fitting we give Tyron Smith this week's last words, moving on from a star-studded football career that really didn't start until he arrived in high school since, as he points out, he was banned from playing Pop Warner football while growing up in Los Angeles. Said upon weigh-ins he was told he was "too big" for his age group.
"Might feel young in my mind, but my body still is old," Tyron said, going on to say, "wish I could play until I was 40."
And he nearly got emotional when asked how it felt to see a bunch of his ex-teammates attending the ceremony to honor his career.
"It means a lot, and it's hard to put everything into words and context what it means for them to be here. I love this sport; they are my family and my brothers. … It's a relationship for life."
Well said, my man, well said.
