Dez Bryant: Electric Cowboy

Derailed by injuries last season, Dez Bryant is back—and ready to prove he’s the best wide receiver in the NFL

- Tim Struby

To understand Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant’s passion for the game of football, and therefore to understand Dez Bryant himself, you don’t need to look further than a recent moment on the field. Bryant stood and defiantly pointed at each and every member of the opposing secondary. “You can’t guard me!” he taunted. “You can’t guard me!” It wasn’t a mid-season battle against one of the Cowboys’ NFC rivals; it wasn’t even a game. It was a preseason practice. And the secondary he was calling out? His own. Bryant, a two-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro who, last summer, signed a five-year, $70-million contract with $23 million guaranteed (and a $20 million signing bonus), is the last guy you’d expect to waste time and energy calling out teammates on virtually meaningless summer drills. But to Bryant, football means everything. Especially this year. In 2015, No. 88 was plagued by injuries—a hamstring, then a broken foot—resulting in the worst season of his career. So the 27-year-old has made it his mission to demonstrate once again that he’s the top wide receiver in the NFL. “I’m ready to go,” he declared. “I’m ready to get back in beast mode.”