Former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach understands that the times have changed from when he played in the NFL. It's much more difficult for current Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to kick a player off the team than it was for Tom Landry to do the same when Staubach was playing.
The biggest difference is the tremendously inflated salaries that professional football players make today.
Staubach made that point Thursday when he gave his opinion on Dez Bryant's recent arrest for allegedly assaulting his mother.
"If it's actually factual that he's had all these episodes, there is definitely a pattern of behavior that's not good that's affecting him. Then it affects your teammates and affects what you do on the field," Staubach said on the Ben and Skin Show [KESN-FM] 103.3 in Dallas. "So that's not good. If you can't repair that, it affects the rest of the team.
"I don't think there's any excuse in the world, even if you have a bad mother, that you physically do anything to your mother. If that's true, there's no excuse for that."
Staubach also was asked how Landry would've dealt with Bryant. He responded by pretending to say a prayer. The Hall of Famer then used former Cowboys running back Duane Thomas as an example of how Landry responded to a player that had off-the-field problems. Thomas' insubordination eventually forced the Cowboys to trade him after only two seasons with the club.
"I think you do everything you can with your player," Staubach said. "Today's a little different because these guys are very expensive. But today, you still want to help them, but you get to a point where, is it affecting the rest of the team? Once that happens, that's when you've got to cut the cord. But you've still got to do what you can. Coach (Landry) tried to work with players, but if it didn't work out, you were gone."
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