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Cowboys’ J.J. Wilcox: I got caught up in the lights and fame as a rookie
By SportsDayDFW sports websports@dallasnews.com
1:06 pm on July 19, 2014 | Permalink
By Michael Florek
Last year, J.J. Wilcox became a starter by Week 3, started five games, missed three weeks with an injury, came back and never regained a starting spot. Personal issues also added a burden on an already whirlwind rookie year.
Now, he’s projected as the Cowboys’ starter at safety alongside Barry Church, and he says he’s ready to handle all that comes with it.
“Coming in as a rookie, your head is spinning,” Wilcox said at his and Barry Church’s charity bowling event in Frisco on Saturday. ”Now it’s more relaxed. I understand what I have to do. I understand my job. I understand it’s a profession. I understand that, hey, everything I do here I have to go in and attack it to the best of my ability otherwise I won’t be here.
“As a rookie you don’t understand that. You’re caught in the lights, you’re caught in the fame. Your second year you understand that it’s a business.”
He said he got a wake up call after the first couple of games last year.
“You see that you’re not as good as you think you are in this NFL,” Wilcox said.
The Cowboys had an opportunity to give Wilcox some more competition this May. When it came time to make their first-round draft pick, every safety in was still on the board. They opted for guard Zack Martin. Two of the next five picks were safeties. Four ended up going in the first round.
Dallas didn’t draft a safety until they took Ahmad Dixon in the seventh round.
Wilcox said he didn’t pay much attention to Dallas’ passing on players at his position, but did notice it.
“It’s says a lot,” Wilcox said. “It’s great to know the organization is behind you, the team is behind you, they’ve got the confidence in you. I’ve just got to go out here and prove the guys right.”
By SportsDayDFW sports websports@dallasnews.com
1:06 pm on July 19, 2014 | Permalink
By Michael Florek
Last year, J.J. Wilcox became a starter by Week 3, started five games, missed three weeks with an injury, came back and never regained a starting spot. Personal issues also added a burden on an already whirlwind rookie year.
Now, he’s projected as the Cowboys’ starter at safety alongside Barry Church, and he says he’s ready to handle all that comes with it.
“Coming in as a rookie, your head is spinning,” Wilcox said at his and Barry Church’s charity bowling event in Frisco on Saturday. ”Now it’s more relaxed. I understand what I have to do. I understand my job. I understand it’s a profession. I understand that, hey, everything I do here I have to go in and attack it to the best of my ability otherwise I won’t be here.
“As a rookie you don’t understand that. You’re caught in the lights, you’re caught in the fame. Your second year you understand that it’s a business.”
He said he got a wake up call after the first couple of games last year.
“You see that you’re not as good as you think you are in this NFL,” Wilcox said.
The Cowboys had an opportunity to give Wilcox some more competition this May. When it came time to make their first-round draft pick, every safety in was still on the board. They opted for guard Zack Martin. Two of the next five picks were safeties. Four ended up going in the first round.
Dallas didn’t draft a safety until they took Ahmad Dixon in the seventh round.
Wilcox said he didn’t pay much attention to Dallas’ passing on players at his position, but did notice it.
“It’s says a lot,” Wilcox said. “It’s great to know the organization is behind you, the team is behind you, they’ve got the confidence in you. I’ve just got to go out here and prove the guys right.”
