There are certain numbers in football that require you to be good or in a sense bring it.
As a player you know what it means to wear the number 12,33,44,54, 52, and in Dallas, 88.
Drew Pearson wore the number 88 during his tenure in Dallas and made the all decade team in the 70’s.
Michael Irvin wore the number 88 and is now in the Hall OF Fame.
As silly as it sounds, there’s great responsibility that comes with wearing certain numbers, according to the Dallas Morning News, Drew Pearson feels Dez Bryant is not living up to that responsibility.
“He’s not living up to the expectations that were placed on him by wearing that number.”
“Drew Pearson took it to the Ring of Honor level and Michael Irvin took it way beyond that to the Hall of Fame level.
“When Michael and I had a chance to talk to Dez when he came in his rookie year we told him, ‘Don’t do what Drew Pearson did in it. Don’t do what Michael did in it. Do more than that.’ I know that’s a lot to live up to, but what else is there? You live up to those expectations and people will cherish you for the rest of your life.”
Pearson believes at this stage of year three, Bryant shouldn’t be making a lot of the mistakes that he does.
“You should know your plays. You should know where to be. You should know your adjustments that you need to make,” Pearson said. “You know what your value is to this Cowboys offense. You should be making the big plays to help the offense when they need it. To me, that’s what the 88s are all about. That’s what I did in the 88s, that’s what Michael (Irvin) did in the 88s. I’m not saying Dez needs to be us. But we’d just like to see him carry that tradition on with the 88s a little better.”