Jason Witten's Record Setting Year

Jason Witten is a Pro Bowl tight end who makes Pro Bowl type plays for the Dallas Cowboys. His catch against the Philadelphia Eagles last month was one for the ages when he was hit, lost his helmet and kept going on a play that gained 53-yards.

“I've always like him but now I like him more than ever,” explained John Madden who was the color analyst for the NBC Sunday night broadcast team.

Former Cowboys Tight end Billy Joe Dupree is impressed as well. “He's a tough guy,” Dupree says laughing. “He's a tough guy.”

Was Dupree ever that tough? “Different time yeah, but I always kept my helmet on,” says Dupree.

What Witten is doing is next to phenomenal. He's always had the size, the speed and the hands, but now in his fifth year in the NFL, he's also rewriting the record book.

Since Witten entered the league, only Tony Gonzalez has more catches. No other tight end in Cowboys history has more yardages after he passed Doug Cosbie last week for the top spot, a record he had held since 1988.

He is just 7-receptions shy of Jay Novacek's franchise record of 339,
but he will need three more touchdowns if he expects to top Billy Joe Dupree's 1978 record of 9.

“I made my living 20-yards on in,” says Dupree. As for his touchdown record, he says “Well, let's call that a deficiency rating. Actually, its odd that it happens that way, because during my career, my position initially was used as the western union man, to deliver the messages to Roger. So actually, that put me in half the game.”

Witten takes his success in stride. “Its kind of hard to sit back and look back at it, but i don't think I'm one of those guys that really looks at those kind of things. I think one day it will be special for me, and those guys are great players and those records have stood here for a long time. You know to be in that mix, that’s going to be special for me one day, hopefully I can get some of those records.”

Some already think Witten is the top Tight End in team history. “That is special, it is just because there have been so many good ones play. I think you take pride in being that buy, and you always want to be the best.”

Here is a look at where Jason Witten Stands in three key categories:


Most Receiving Yards for Cowboys Tight Ends:

Jason Witten 3,793
Doug Cosbie 3,728

Most receptions for Cowboys Tight Ends:

Jay Novacek 339
Jason Witten 332

Most Touchdowns in a single season for Cowboys Tight Ends:

Billy Joe Dupree 9 1978
Billy Joe Dupree 7 1980
David LaFleur 7 1999
Jason Witten 7 2007

UT Arlington Off To Best Start In School History

UT Arlington Head Basketball Coach Scott Cross is in his second season on the job, but already he's turning heads.

“Obviously we're not there yet,” says Cross. “We're a long ways from it, but we're headed in the right direction.”

Friday night, the Mavericks beat Wichita State, escaping with a 1-point victory when Brandon Long hit the game winner with 6.3-seconds left, to keep a perfect start to their season alive. The game was played in front of the biggest road crowd of the year.

After the game, Cross said “I've been here for over a decade, thirteen something years as a player and a coach, and I'd say without a doubt, this is definitely the biggest win since I've been around. Sports Information Director, Bill Pettit, was saying it was the biggest win in the history of the program.

It’s big because UT Arlington is a perfect 8-and-0. That's the best start in school history and leaves them just one short of the school's longest winning streak of 9.

“I really never won more than three games in High School, so winning eight or more than eight games, I mean it actually feels good especially since we're making history,” says Center Jermaine Griffin.

“It is early, but it means a lot,” says Guard Rod Epps. “It feels good to make tradition like this. Hopefully we can extend it a little bit more.”

“It’s exciting for us because last year we had kind of bad season,” says Forward Larry Posey. “Before the season, we worked real hard, and we told ourselves that we were going to give it our all, and for me I'm a senior, so it’s my last time to go around.”

“It’s been a struggle but it’s not what everybody things,” says Cross. “This school, I think is a diamond in the rough and a sleeping giant.”

UT Arlington is one of fourteen schools still undefeated around the country. They play TCU on Monday, then Oklahoma State the following Saturday. So for this streak to get longer, life on the road will not get easier.

Celina Running Back Charley Waldrep Keeps Running

At Celina High School, the practices are enthusiastic and upbeat as the Bobcats get ready for another playoff game.

“It’s really fun and having the community that supports you like this and knowing that everybody has got your back,” says Quarterback Seth Davis

Its a school that is no stranger to championships. After all they have seven state titles to their credit. But while the Bobcats are trying to put together another championship run, running back Charley Waldrep learned a long time ago that football isn’t just about the final score.

Through eleven games, Waldrep has rushed for more than eleven hundred yards, but despite his athletic ability, he has never seen his dad walk.

As a running back for TCU in 1975, his dad Kent Waldrep sustained a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

“The first think I've always told him, get up quick,” says his father Kent. “Be the first one off the pile. But I try not concentrate on something like an injury happening, Charley is a tremendous talent, he's a great kid, hopefully he's got the opportunity to play sports in college.”

Asked whether he thinks his father worries about his health, Charley is quick to reply. “Yeah he does, he worries about me most just getting hurt. Anything else isn't to much of a worry to him.”

And does his father give advice on what to do and what not to do, “Not too much,” Charley says.

The younger Waldrep is a gifted athlete, who excels not only in football, but is an all state baseball player as well.

“Most parents would decline their kid the opportunity to play, if they had been in that situation,” says Butch Ford, Celina’s Head Football coach. “I don't know that would be a hard decision to make when you back up and take a look at it. but he's real supportive of him, i think he enjoys watching him get up.”

Says Kent, “he knows baseball is my choice, ha, its a much longer career, but the last think I’m going to do, if he has an opportunity to play football, I'm not going to stop him just because of what happened to me. Charley will make the right decision and hopefully God will keep his hand on his shoulder.”

In the meantime, Charley keeps running and adding to the legacy of Celina High School Football

Cowboys Linebacker Greg Ellis Is Enjoying His Finest Season

Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis is having a great year. Last Thursday, Ellis notched the 17th multiple sack game of his career. His 10 and half so far is a single-season career best and he can thank Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips’ system.

“What we are is a team that has a lot of exotic things that we do not necessarily predicated on what the offense is giving us,” says Ellis.

His teammate, Defensive End Chris Canty is impressed with what Ellis is doing. “I mean I've been telling people this for three years, Greg Ellis might not have had enough time to get there, but I've never seen him get blocked in pass protection,’ he says. “I’ve never seen it happen.”

It was in week nine, nearly thirteen months ago, that Ellis thought his career might be over. He tore an Achilles tendon in Arizona, and in sports, that may be one of toughest injuries to overcome.

“I don't know how it happened. It just felt like somebody kicked me,” says Ellis remembering that day.

Ellis made it a point to return to the field that day and walk off under his own power, just in case it was his last game. We know now, it wasn't

By week seven of this season, Ellis was starting again. He leads the team in sacks, is fourth in the NFL, and has a theory as to why he's been able come back strong from such a serious injury.

Says Ellis, “When I tore my Achilles, somebody had actually stepped on it as opposed to it just rupturing just out of the blue. Does that make a difference, I don't know. But my common sense would say, someone actually put pressure on it to break it, you know, as opposed to you just running, and it snaps.” That he says may have been the key to his amazing recover.

Whatever happened Ellis knows he's a lucky man.