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For Morris Claiborne, fourth quarter might have been best as Cowboy
6:28 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
SANTA CLARA -- So many things have changed since Morris Claiborne's last interception on Sept. 21, 2014.
Most notably, the team he had it against doesn’t even play in the same state anymore after the St. Louis Rams moved to Los Angeles this year.
And, no, Claiborne, the Dallas Cowboys' cornerback, hadn’t forgotten what an interception felt like. He had played one more game in 2014, 11 more in 2015 and the first three of the 2016 season before he came down with a Blaine Gabbert pass in the fourth quarter Sunday.
"As the game was going on, I was praying to myself, 'God, it’s never too late. I’m still here. I still want one,'" Claiborne said. "I remember walking around telling the training staff that I’m going to get you one. I even told our linebackers coach, 'Hey, I’m going to get you one.' It just so happened that I came back over with one. I can’t even describe the feeling. I just want more."
When he came to the sideline he was swarmed by teammates and dropped to a knee.
"Where I’m at right now with my career, what I’m doing, without (God) I just don’t feel like none of it is possible," Claiborne said.
The fourth quarter might have been the best of Claiborne’s Cowboys’ career. In addition to the interception, he had a tackle for loss, stopping Gabbert on a quarterback keeper, and he salted the game away for the Cowboys with a tackle of Torrey Smith 3 yards short on a fourth-and-6 from the Dallas 35 with 1:49 to play.
"All game I wasn’t getting many plays," Claiborne said. "All of them came in the fourth quarter, and they all came together. So, you know, just in position. When all those plays happened, it’s just staying on top and staying honest to the defense."
Claiborne has gone from one of the worst draft picks of the Jerry Jones' era -- considering what the Cowboys gave up to get him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft and the lack of production and injuries since -- to one of their shrewdest free-agent signings.
He chose to return to the Cowboys on a one-year, $3 million deal in hopes of finding the form that made him a top pick.
"Great illustration of what he’s all about, what this team’s all about, what we build each and every day. Mo’s overcome a lot throughout his career," coach Jason Garrett said. "He’s playing the best football of his career. I think you saw that in the early part of the season. You saw that throughout the game. Makes the big interception. Makes the big tackle. At the end of the ballgame he’s a tough guy. He’s a tough guy. He’s mentally tough. He’s physically tough. He did a damn good job."
6:28 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
SANTA CLARA -- So many things have changed since Morris Claiborne's last interception on Sept. 21, 2014.
Most notably, the team he had it against doesn’t even play in the same state anymore after the St. Louis Rams moved to Los Angeles this year.
And, no, Claiborne, the Dallas Cowboys' cornerback, hadn’t forgotten what an interception felt like. He had played one more game in 2014, 11 more in 2015 and the first three of the 2016 season before he came down with a Blaine Gabbert pass in the fourth quarter Sunday.
"As the game was going on, I was praying to myself, 'God, it’s never too late. I’m still here. I still want one,'" Claiborne said. "I remember walking around telling the training staff that I’m going to get you one. I even told our linebackers coach, 'Hey, I’m going to get you one.' It just so happened that I came back over with one. I can’t even describe the feeling. I just want more."
When he came to the sideline he was swarmed by teammates and dropped to a knee.
"Where I’m at right now with my career, what I’m doing, without (God) I just don’t feel like none of it is possible," Claiborne said.
The fourth quarter might have been the best of Claiborne’s Cowboys’ career. In addition to the interception, he had a tackle for loss, stopping Gabbert on a quarterback keeper, and he salted the game away for the Cowboys with a tackle of Torrey Smith 3 yards short on a fourth-and-6 from the Dallas 35 with 1:49 to play.
"All game I wasn’t getting many plays," Claiborne said. "All of them came in the fourth quarter, and they all came together. So, you know, just in position. When all those plays happened, it’s just staying on top and staying honest to the defense."
Claiborne has gone from one of the worst draft picks of the Jerry Jones' era -- considering what the Cowboys gave up to get him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft and the lack of production and injuries since -- to one of their shrewdest free-agent signings.
He chose to return to the Cowboys on a one-year, $3 million deal in hopes of finding the form that made him a top pick.
"Great illustration of what he’s all about, what this team’s all about, what we build each and every day. Mo’s overcome a lot throughout his career," coach Jason Garrett said. "He’s playing the best football of his career. I think you saw that in the early part of the season. You saw that throughout the game. Makes the big interception. Makes the big tackle. At the end of the ballgame he’s a tough guy. He’s a tough guy. He’s mentally tough. He’s physically tough. He did a damn good job."