How Mo 'Bust' Claiborne, who once walked out on Cowboys, found joy again in playing football

Jiggyfly

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How Mo 'Bust' Claiborne, who once walked out on Cowboys, found joy again in playing football


FRISCO -- Morris Claiborne earned the pair of red boxing gloves that symbolize the Cowboys' "Knockout" player, bestowed by coach Jason Garrett, after last Sunday's win at San Francisco.
It was a fitting trophy for "Mo" in more ways than one.

Not only did the cornerback deliver the game-sealing smack of a 49ers receiver on fourth down, he also made an interception in the fourth quarter, his first in over two years -- first, in fact, since he'd left the Cowboys' facility in a huff, his starting job lost, his future in question, in September 2014.

But even more than that, as the Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals and NFL receptions leader A.J. Green on Sunday, Claiborne has battled injuries and doubts to position himself for what could be his best NFL season, five seasons in.

Appropriate, then, that he spent part of his offseason in a boxing ring in an Allen gym tucked away in a strip mall behind an auto repair shop and a bank. His late father never did want him to box, but here he was working on his hands and footwork. It was just part of a new regimen and mentality he wanted to build with a new trainer that he says has been the key to his progress so far this season.

So far. Claiborne, more than anyone, knows those are the key words.

Can he stay healthy? Can he keep up this level of play as a physical tackler who makes life hard on receivers? There are skeptics still.

The Cowboys traded up eight spots to get Claiborne with the No. 6 overall draft pick in 2012, and he's been labeled a bust relentlessly almost ever since. Claiborne, the Shreveport, La., and LSU product, said he used to hate the word.

This offseason, he told his teammates to use it when they worked out.
"Call me 'Bust,'" he'd tell them. "That's my name. I was to the point I didn't take anything personally. I want to smile. I like to be happy. ... Once somebody takes the fun out of the game, I've been through it, it's not pretty."

Claiborne, 26, is back with the Cowboys on a one-year deal worth about $3 million. A long-term deal, somewhere, is likely next. A promising future still ahead? Dallas appears to be among the believers.
After the win last week in San Francisco, executive vice president Stephen Jones bear-hugged Claiborne.
Every week, you're making yourself more money, Jones told him.

"This feels great," Claiborne said of his success. "I just had to be patient, keep praying, keep working. I knew one day I was going to break through. They say God do a lot of things, but it's no mistake what he's doing."

New regimen

Claiborne heard of an Allen-based trainer known as "Real Truth" through Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, a Richardson Berkner product. Ronnie Braxton trains Talib and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. of the defending Super Bowl champions.

The first time Claiborne called Braxton, the trainer hung up on him, wanting to test his level of interest. Claiborne called right back.

They started working together in March. The workouts would begin at about 5 a.m. Claiborne made the drive from Flower Mound to Allen. He would get home about 7:30 or 8 at night.

The workouts, with several spread throughout the day, involved a mix of everything, from boxing to Pilates to footwork drills with teenaged soccer stars to exercising in the pool to trade secrets Braxton wouldn't reveal.

When it came to Claiborne, Braxton said, he had all the tools, he just needed some tweaking.

"This is a Lamborghini," Braxton said. "I looked at the tires. My baby needed footwork. Why does my Lamborghini have Kia tires? But I didn't have to change Mo Claiborne."
He believes a formula of fitness and nutrition will help keep Claiborne healthier.
Claiborne said he's also talked with veteran Cowboys teammates Jason Witten and Sean Lee about what they do to try to stay healthy. The secret? "Stretching, stretching," Claiborne said.

Braxton, a standout athlete in Denison and former University of Houston middle linebacker, overcame a tough background to now run Real Superior Athletics.
He has long talks weekly with Claiborne, who still does extra circuits of footwork, hip work and training with boxing gloves.

"He hit a switch that changed my whole mind-set about my game, about myself," Claiborne said. "Nobody can play with you when you're at your best. He turned me totally around."
Claiborne got through training camp healthy, practicing day in and day out. He sparred in competitive drills with teammate and receiver Dez Bryant. And often, he won.

Walkout regrets

Claiborne stormed out of Valley Ranch, the team's former headquarters, on that September 2014 day after being told he would be replaced in the starting lineup by Orlando Scandrick. He missed the walk-through practice and team meetings. He was gone for about eight hours in all until Garrett called him, and Claiborne returned to meet with him.

"I think about Coach Garrett telling me you're probably going to look back at this and regret you did it," Claiborne said. "And now that it's happened in the past, I do regret it. I should have stayed like a man and owned up to it."

Claiborne said he went home and got into bed, his mind racing all the while before he returned.

"I needed a moment to myself," Claiborne said. "I shouldn't have done it, but at the same time, what would've happened if I stayed? I didn't want to show that side of what I was feeling."

The next day, Claiborne returned to work and addressed his teammates -- one of the hardest things he's done, he said -- and then the media.
He injured his knee -- suffering a ruptured patellar tendon -- in the next game, ending his season after only four games.

Positive turn

Claiborne said for a long time he had stopped feeling joy in playing football. His father, Robert Owens, died in late 2013, four days before his daughter was born, a confusing mix of emotions.

He had injury after injury, missing 26 games in four seasons. He was recovering from wrist surgery when he was drafted. He started 15 games as a rookie, but the injuries mounted: concussion, separated shoulder, hamstring problems, shoulder and finger surgeries.

But in 2015, even though he missed five games to injury, he started to enjoy football again. He hated that people had avoided him, knowing he was frustrated.
He wanted things to be different.

Through four games in 2016, they have been.

He focuses on the positives. If he sees something negative? "I delete it, gone, 'bye,'" he said.

His teammates showed their happiness for his success when they mugged him after he made the big plays last week, all in the fourth quarter, encapsulating where he is now.
"It just shows he has the heart of a warrior," safety Barry Church said. "You're seeing it now. He's always had it. He's had the unfortunate circumstances of being hurt and having things happen. But he's balling now, and I don't expect him to stop."

Claiborne has been supported by girlfriend Jennifer Jones, who attended training camp with him.

When he wakes up on game days, he feels joy again.

"It's like when you build those skyscrapers, you dig all the way into the ground so it can stand up on that foundation," Claiborne said. "I feel like all this has been dug deep. Deep as I can go, so I can build it all the way up, so it can be high. I feel that way."
 

mcnuttz

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His turnaround has been impressive so far.

The breakup in the endzone yesterday was a thing of beauty.
 

DLK150

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I'm all for giving him a new contract if he keeps playing the way he has but I would hope he will remember the team being patient with him and doesn't hold out or make ridiculous contract demands.
 

boozeman

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I'm all for giving him a new contract if he keeps playing the way he has but I would hope he will remember the team being patient with him and doesn't hold out or make ridiculous contract demands.
Still going to pay out the ass for him.

That is how those corners operate.
 

P_T

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Dion Sanders was explaining last night how the switch from the right side to the left side has made all the difference in his game (that and being healthy)... he said that when the receiver begins his route, Mo instinctively drives off his right foot, and when he was on the right side it made it difficult for him to open his hips and smoothly transition into turning and running with the WR... but now that he is on the left, is a more natural motion.

I don't know if if it is BS or not, but it made sense when Sanders was illustrating it.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Still going to pay out the ass for him.

That is how those corners operate.
Yeah but we need defensive players bad already, we can't really afford to let our best corner walk and create another hole. I would have liked to see that for 4 years before paying him, as opposed to one season but I can't see how you let him walk.
 

ravidubey

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Yeah but we need defensive players bad already, we can't really afford to let our best corner walk and create another hole. I would have liked to see that for 4 years before paying him, as opposed to one season but I can't see how you let him walk.
Absolutely. It's important to develop them like with any position, but you can't let the best on the team just walk. If you let anyone walk, it's Scandrick who's five years older.
 

Jiggyfly

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Dion Sanders was explaining last night how the switch from the right side to the left side has made all the difference in his game (that and being healthy)... he said that when the receiver begins his route, Mo instinctively drives off his right foot, and when he was on the right side it made it difficult for him to open his hips and smoothly transition into turning and running with the WR... but now that he is on the left, is a more natural motion.

I don't know if if it is BS or not, but it made sense when Sanders was illustrating it.
I need to look for that was it on NFLN?
 

BipolarFuk

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Be nice to get him for Carr's original contract. That's probably a bargain these days for a good CB.
 

DLK150

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Dion Sanders was explaining last night how the switch from the right side to the left side has made all the difference in his game (that and being healthy)... he said that when the receiver begins his route, Mo instinctively drives off his right foot, and when he was on the right side it made it difficult for him to open his hips and smoothly transition into turning and running with the WR... but now that he is on the left, is a more natural motion.

I don't know if if it is BS or not, but it made sense when Sanders was illustrating it.
I seem to remember reading years ago how some CBs are interchangeable when it comes to which side they play on and some are just more comfortable only playing one side.

I think it was after one FA CB signed a big deal and didn't live up to expectations. He played one side with his former team to earn that contract, his new team played him on the opposite side and he bombed. Something like that.
 

Texas Ace

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Claiborne has been great and has gotten all the praise, but both Brandon Carr and even JJ Wilcox have quietly had solid seasons too.

Carr is playing his best football since 2012, and Wilcox seems to have found his footing in that 3rd safety role. He made a great pass break up at San Francisco, and he's had quite a few big hits that have stopped plays cold or even caused fumbles.

If this play can continue for the entire season, we may end up having a much better defense than we all expected.
 

dallen

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Dion Sanders was explaining last night how the switch from the right side to the left side has made all the difference in his game (that and being healthy)... he said that when the receiver begins his route, Mo instinctively drives off his right foot, and when he was on the right side it made it difficult for him to open his hips and smoothly transition into turning and running with the WR... but now that he is on the left, is a more natural motion.

I don't know if if it is BS or not, but it made sense when Sanders was illustrating it.
If true what the hell took so long for our DB coaches to realize that?
 

townsend

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Claiborne has been great and has gotten all the praise, but both Brandon Carr and even JJ Wilcox have quietly had solid seasons too.

Carr is playing his best football since 2012, and Wilcox seems to have found his footing in that 3rd safety role. He made a great pass break up at San Francisco, and he's had quite a few big hits that have stopped plays cold or even caused fumbles.

If this play can continue for the entire season, we may end up having a much better defense than we all expected.
I think the shakeup at DB coach is paying dividends.
 

mcnuttz

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If true what the hell took so long for our DB coaches to realize that?
I believe they got rid of Jerome Henderson.
 

mcnuttz

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shane

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Another thing I like about him is that he will hold a guy when he's beat rather than giving up a big play. Seems like there is some light at the end of the tunnel with this guy. If Scandrick comes back healthy as an effective nickel corner, I will actually be pleased with our secondary for the first time in god knows how long.
 

boozeman

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Claiborne has been great and has gotten all the praise, but both Brandon Carr and even JJ Wilcox have quietly had solid seasons too.

Carr is playing his best football since 2012, and Wilcox seems to have found his footing in that 3rd safety role. He made a great pass break up at San Francisco, and he's had quite a few big hits that have stopped plays cold or even caused fumbles.

If this play can continue for the entire season, we may end up having a much better defense than we all expected.
I saw that. It is interesting the entire secondary seems to be more active and alert with Henderson gone.
 

Texas Ace

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I saw that. It is interesting the entire secondary seems to be more active and alert with Henderson gone.
That play Wilcox made against San Francisco is as good a PBU as we've seen from this secondary in a long time, especially at the safety position.
 
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