IRVING, Texas — Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant said Thursday that he is relieved to have reached a deal with the district attorney's office to have his misdemeanor family assault charge conditionally dismissed.
Bryant spoke with media members for about six minutes in the locker room at the team's Valley Ranch practice facility, stating several times that he is focused on football.
"I'm extremely excited that we came to an agreement," Bryant said. "I'm just going to do what I need to do to continue to be a great teammate, a great person and a great player as well."
Bryant, who was accused of hitting his mother in July, will have the charge dropped if he attends a year of counseling and is not arrested or charged with another crime within a year.
His mother, Angela Bryant, originally told police there was an argument and her son grabbed her, ripped her clothing and slapped her with a ball cap, according to a police affidavit.
Angela Bryant later filed an affidavit of non-prosecution saying that she did not wish to pursue charges against her son.
The former first-round pick did not get into specifics on Thursday but did say that the case was on his mind "quite a bit."
Asked if he feels freer, the 24-year-old responded: "You could say that."
"It bothered me a little bit," Bryant responded after being asked if the incident disappointed him. "It's over now. I feel comfortable and I'm ready to stay focused on this football and keep my mind on that and nothing else."
Bryant said that his attorney, State Senator Royce West, did a great job handling the situation.
"He took care of it," Bryant said. "That situation is behind me. I'm just focused on football right now."
