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How many Rod Marinelli four-letter words went into Ryan Russell’s first Cowboys sack?
David Moore Follow @DavidMooreDMN Email dmoore@dallasnews.com
Published: August 28, 2015 9:52 am
Ryan Russell wore the jersey (No. 59) of injured linebacker Anthony Hitchens in his final day at training camp.
It may have been a ploy to get coaches and players to stop yelling at him.
The rookie defensive end became a verbal punching bag for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and the veteran players during the team’s stay in Southern California. Hardly a practice went by that Marinelli didn’t light into No. 99 for a mistake.
“I think he enjoys that,’’ Marinelli said.
“He’s a really good talent. He’s a talented, talented big man. You’ve just got to grind through it, every second of every day.’’
The fifth-round pick from Purdue is a promising talent but one who struggles with consistency. That’s one reason Marinelli is so hard on him. The players have taken the lead of their defensive coordinator. When Russell jumped offsides during a team drill in Wednesday’s practice, linebacker Sean Lee and safety Barry Church began screaming at Russell, getting in his face and telling him to get off the field.
That’s why it was so gratifying when Russell collected one of the team’s three sacks in a loss to San Francisco.
How many Marinelli curse words preceded that sack?
“I lost track around 100,’’ rookie defensive end Randy Gregory said.
“The good thing is he’s been responding well. Some guys cringe. But I think Ryan has done a good job so far, especially training camp, of getting better, moving around a lot, on the inside, taking it all in and not complaining.
“That’s what you’re going to see on the field. You’re going to see some good play because he’s working hard and he’s not going to give up.’’
Russell takes it all in stride. He focuses on Marinelli’s message, not the tone or barrage of four-letter words.
“He’s always telling me the stuff I need to work on, things he sees that I need to improve,’’ Russell said. “It’s always knowledgeable. It’s always helpful no matter how he says it or how hard he seems to be on me. I don’t take it in a negative way.
“You can’t shut down. There is going to be adversity in the game that’s way tougher than your coach yelling critiques at you. You’ve got to be able to overcome adversity and obstacles, mentally and physically.’’
So, did more than 100 curse words go into that first sack?
“Easily,’’ Russell said.
“Once I got it, it was worth it.’’
David Moore Follow @DavidMooreDMN Email dmoore@dallasnews.com
Published: August 28, 2015 9:52 am
Ryan Russell wore the jersey (No. 59) of injured linebacker Anthony Hitchens in his final day at training camp.
It may have been a ploy to get coaches and players to stop yelling at him.
The rookie defensive end became a verbal punching bag for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and the veteran players during the team’s stay in Southern California. Hardly a practice went by that Marinelli didn’t light into No. 99 for a mistake.
“I think he enjoys that,’’ Marinelli said.
“He’s a really good talent. He’s a talented, talented big man. You’ve just got to grind through it, every second of every day.’’
The fifth-round pick from Purdue is a promising talent but one who struggles with consistency. That’s one reason Marinelli is so hard on him. The players have taken the lead of their defensive coordinator. When Russell jumped offsides during a team drill in Wednesday’s practice, linebacker Sean Lee and safety Barry Church began screaming at Russell, getting in his face and telling him to get off the field.
That’s why it was so gratifying when Russell collected one of the team’s three sacks in a loss to San Francisco.
How many Marinelli curse words preceded that sack?
“I lost track around 100,’’ rookie defensive end Randy Gregory said.
“The good thing is he’s been responding well. Some guys cringe. But I think Ryan has done a good job so far, especially training camp, of getting better, moving around a lot, on the inside, taking it all in and not complaining.
“That’s what you’re going to see on the field. You’re going to see some good play because he’s working hard and he’s not going to give up.’’
Russell takes it all in stride. He focuses on Marinelli’s message, not the tone or barrage of four-letter words.
“He’s always telling me the stuff I need to work on, things he sees that I need to improve,’’ Russell said. “It’s always knowledgeable. It’s always helpful no matter how he says it or how hard he seems to be on me. I don’t take it in a negative way.
“You can’t shut down. There is going to be adversity in the game that’s way tougher than your coach yelling critiques at you. You’ve got to be able to overcome adversity and obstacles, mentally and physically.’’
So, did more than 100 curse words go into that first sack?
“Easily,’’ Russell said.
“Once I got it, it was worth it.’’