I was thinking to myself there is really nothing better than watching a commercial-less hour of Dallas Cowboys football. That was once again what we got to enjoy in episode two of Hard Knocks. This episode was filled with action including the live scrimmage against the Los Angeles Rams and the second preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals.
Also, Hard Knocks continues to give us fans great access to the team and allows us to learn more about a player’s background that we otherwise would not have known. Without further ado, here are my four top moments from episode two of Hard Knocks.
Azur Kamara’s backstory
Many might not recognize the name Azur Kamara but he is an undrafted free-agent defensive end for the Cowboys who spent last season on the practice squad. What makes him unique is that he is from the Ivory Coast.
There has only been one other player born in the Ivory Coast to play in the NFL. That was Amos Zereoue who played from 1999-2005.
He mentioned how the first time his family would be seeing him play live was in Arizona for the second preseason game. Kamara had a sack at the end of the game, which was ultimately negated by a false start penalty.
Kamara has an uphill climb to make the active roster but he definitely gained a lot of new supporters after this episode. It will be interesting to see how he is incorporated into future episodes and if he is able to make the final 53.
Superstar CeeDee
The Cowboys’ second-year wide receiver continues to be the talk of camp after making big play after big play. Especially with Amari Cooper being sidelined CeeDee Lamb has taken over the reins as the Cowboys WR1.
Other than the fantastic on-field plays we were given a little off-field access to the star receiver and his love for candles. Yes, candles.
Lamb says he always wants to be smelling good. So the first thing he does when he gets back from practice is light a scented candle.
Also, he mentioned to the Hard Knocks crew how his expectations for himself are so high that he will never be satisfied. Lamb said he wants a lot more and that he’s really not satisfied when referring to his highlight plays in practice.
Cowboys Owner/General Manager Jerry Jones and Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin both spoke glowingly about Lamb in this episode. Irvin believes Lamb has been a tear on the football field. Jones believes he’s a guy who wants to go out and make the plays. And that Lamb needs the ball in his hands.
Pretty simply put the more times CeeDee Lamb has the ball the more success the Cowboys’ offense will have.
Aden Durde’s Accent
I first heard Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde’s accent in episode one and Hard Knocks made it a focal point of episode two.
Durde’s hometown is Middlesex, England and he has a strong British accent. Many of the defensive line players make fun of Durde for his accent the way he pronounces certain words.
It is not often in the NFL you see a player or coach from England, so Durde is an anomaly which Hard Knocks used to its advantage.
The interesting thing about Durde other than being from England is that he played football in NFL Europe for six years. He was a linebacker for the Scottish Claymores and Hamburg Sea Devils (interesting names, I know).
Jerry Jones said Durde looks like he’s from Arkansas. Jones listens to him and he sounds like Winston Churchill. Now we can discuss whether or not Durde actually sounds like Churchill but this is just another classic Jerryism.
He and new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have a good relationship which is why Quinn brought him over with him from Atlanta, where Durde spent the last three seasons.
We are all hoping for the best for Durde because we know the defensive line needs to have success if the Cowboys’ defense wants to be able to stop anybody.
Dak back throwing/ Zeke’s personality
After being sidelined for a few weeks with a shoulder injury Dak Prescott was seen being eased back into throwing in this episode. With a little more than three weeks until the season opener having Dak back sooner than later is important.
But, Dak mentioned how even when he’s not in a certain play he is still getting mental reps. He is reading the defense, going over his reads, and telling himself where to go with the ball.
Also, he continues to work on his lower body and stay ready for when the season begins.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott has been the star of the show with his outgoing personality and constant funny moments. This episode showed Zeke needing baby powder for a certain area of his body. Which in his playful fashion he was running around the field looking for some powder.
Also, No. 21 is the go-to guy for sunflower seeds on the sideline. Through the whole second preseason game, you could see Zeke with a bag of sunflower seeds which he ate and passed along to his teammates. These two might be the biggest stars on the entire team and Hard Knocks is taking full advantage of it.