After expressing a reluctance to talk about Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith asked that people have patience with the troubled receiver.
"There's enough people commenting on it . . . anything I do is going to be piling on," Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, initially told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport on Wednesday at a golf outing in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
Bryant, who is entering his third season with the Cowboys, was arrested Monday for allegedly assaulting his mother at her home in DeSoto, Texas, on Saturday.
Smith, a Hall of Fame running back, pointed to the 23-year-old's maturity level and the need for outsiders to have patience with him.
"That's a level of maturity that must take place," Smith said. "This is where people have to be patient with people like Dez or younger players. Everybody has to mature. Sometimes, some folks mature a lot quicker than others. I mean, that's just something everybody has to be patient for.
"Just pray that the guy understands and gets it at some point. Because if he doesn't, he's definitely messing with his future and he's messing with his ability to really connect with the fans."
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