National Football League

Cowboys eager to see if Dez dazzles in debut

Published Sep. 7, 2010 12:13 a.m. ET

foxsports

Dez Bryant was headed into the lunch room Monday when Jon Kitna called him over to a corner where several veterans were doing conditioning work. The rookie dutifully joined them, taking his turn in line.

That is, until the strength coach laughed and told him he didn't need to be there.

So Bryant shrugged and headed back on his way. He took a few quick steps toward the lunch room, leaped as if to slap the wall above the door frame, then spun in the air and pretended to do a reverse dunk. He landed with a big smile and finally went to get that sandwich.

Naive and energetic, eager and optimistic, Bryant is ready to finally play football again.

Bryant will be catching passes and perhaps returning punts when the Dallas Cowboys open the season Sunday night in Washington. It will be his first game in 51 weeks, his anticipation building through an NCAA suspension that cost him nine games at Oklahoma State last fall and an ankle injury that kept him out the entire preseason.

''I have a feeling that when the lights turn on, he's going to respond,'' coach Wade Phillips said. ''Sometimes for players, it's too big for them or they have problems. It seems like every time he gets a chance to show what he can do, he does well.''

Bryant declined to be interviewed Monday. But, really, there's not much left for him to say.

He's answered countless questions about his character and work ethic (the reasons he slid to the 24th pick in the draft) and his sordid family background (Miami's GM apologized again last week for asking if his mother was a prostitute). He's talked about the Cowboys' high hopes for him (Jerry Jones decided draft night that Bryant would wear No. 88, same as Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson) and about lessons learned the hard way (he didn't know he was supposed to carry a veteran's pads). He's certainly tired of talking about his rehabilitation from a high ankle sprain suffered July 30.

Now, it's simply time to play - time to show that someone so big and strong also can be so fast and agile.

''I've got to keep him calm,'' receivers coach Ray Sherman said. ''He's excited to get to play.''

Bryant's last game was Sept. 19. He had nine catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns for Oklahoma State in a lopsided win over Rice. He might've had more but left following a hard hit that also kept him out the next week against Grambling State. He didn't suit up that game, but was still front and center, leading the team down the tunnel. It turned out to be his last with those Cowboys.

Now Bryant is the No. 3 receiver on these Cowboys, behind starters Miles Austin and Roy Williams in an offense that likes to use three receivers. Patrick Crayton had 37 catches for 622 yards and five touchdowns in that role last season, and the Cowboys traded him last week to completely pave the way for Bryant.

How good he is this season depends on several things, starting with his health and conditioning.

He might be in great shape, but he needs to also be in football shape. He's fresh, but there's no telling how much of a toll the accumulation of hits will take, especially for someone who's never played this long of a season.

Then there's the trick of making the transition from college to pros without the benefit of a single play during the preseason. The only passes he's ever caught from Tony Romo have been against friendly foes.

''It's different,'' Sherman said. ''This is live bullets coming at you. He's got to be ready to adapt. Once he gets that first catch or that first hit, that'll help him settle down.''

Bryant took advantage of his down time to make sure he was learning the plays. He was quizzed plenty and had one-on-one sessions with coaches, walking through routes as they were called out.

''That was a big plus,'' Sherman said.

Of course, there's a difference between a placid day in training camp and the scene Sunday night, when adrenaline will be pumping and the crowd will be against him.

''Now,'' Sherman said, ''he's got to get out on the field and do it.''