FRISCO, Texas – In the open locker-room today at the Star in Frisco concluding their practice in the third week of OTA’s, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and tight end Geoff Swaim spoke to the press.
Awuzie discussed his comeback from injury “ I feel real good. Last year obviously everyone knows about my hamstring; it kinda set me back and I had to take a lot of mental reps but this year I am completely healthy and have been able to do the things I know I can do. It will keep getting better from here on out.”
During his rookie season, Awuzie accumulated 25 combined tackles and 14 total tackles in 10 game starts. After he came back from his hamstring injury that kept him from the field mid-season, he played a huge role in the week 15 game against Oakland, and the week 16 game against the Seahawks where he amassed five combined tackles in each.
The Cowboys young secondary had a slow start last season, but once the defensive backfield found their rhythm, they contributed in a huge way in the last several games of the season. Awuzie came back from his injury with an impressive display showcasing his abilities on the field, and his goal this season is to continue to grow as a player and make a greater impact for the Cowboys this season not hindered by injury.
Swaim described the dichotomy of succeeding as an individual and together as a team, “ It is an understanding that it is competitive. It would be disingenuous to say you weren’t trying to be the guy. That is what everyone is trying to do. For us, it is just working as hard as we can. It is an eclectic effort of lets get it right. We are on the same page because it is not just one guy in the game; there are two tight ends next to each other. We are really just working together to help each other out and be the best we can be collectively.”
The two words are normally in contrast to one another, however in order for the Cowboys to succeed this season as Swaim put it, they must grow as individual players and work on refining their own skills, in order to bring out the best team effort on the field come fall. Each member of the 53-man roster will play an intricate part on both sides of the line of scrimmage to create the Dallas Cowboys’ destiny. One player does not make or break a team. It is the collection of talent and heart on both sides of the football that creates a winning team. The Cowboys certainly have the talent, come fall we will see if they have the execution to “get it right!! “
