Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: ‘We’re back to business’
There was certainly a lot said during the Dallas Cowboys opening press conference on Wednesday. As fans of America’s Team, when owner Jerry Jones speaks, there is the understanding that something he says will become a news headline within the hour on EPSN. The first press conference of the training camp was no exception.
Jerry Jones said some very colorful things on Wednesday about championships and his relationship with former head coach Jimmy Johnson. In every word that Jones said, there was a lot of passion behind his voice. It was something that has not been seen since the Cowboys were allowed to have fans at AT&T Stadium last year.
The specific questions that got Jones the most fired up were how his team dealt with COVID-19 vaccine numbers and being back in Oxnard, California, for training camp.
This time last year, all players and coaches had to prepare for a questionable season unlike ever before. The Cowboys were still just trying to get acclimated to a new coaching staff led by head coach Mike McCarthy.
After being stuck in Texas for all of last season, here’s what Jones said during the team’s opening press conference this past week about how being back on the west coast offers a welcomed change in scenery for a team that could not find their groove in 2020.
"“The feeling that we have is like your coming home, but just as important is the atmosphere. Now we all know what our challenges were over the past year and a half … It was so important for the Cowboys to basically in this way show look, we’re back. Here we are, and we’re back to business.”"
Traveling to California is like a homecoming for Dallas. Fans travel from all over the state to see star players like quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Having dedicated fans at training camp can bring out the best players looking to compete for a roster spot.
It can’t also be a coincidence that the year the Cowboys aren’t in Oxnard, Prescott goes down with a season-ending injury, Elliott has his worst statistical season filled with fumbles, and the team has one of the worst defenses in franchise history. A lot more goes into why a team gets a 6-10 season, but it’s interesting to think about.
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The organization knows that camp in Oxnard is more than just having another field to practice on. It means to start correcting what was lost season due to a pandemic and getting back to a familiar place where the season truly begins for the Dallas Cowboys.