Dez Bryant, J.J. Wilcox scuffle during Cowboys training camp
Tensions can get awfully high during training camp and it's not unusual to see teammates engage in a scrap. That was exactly the case Saturday as a pair of Dallas Cowboys got under each other's skin during practice.
After wide receiver Dez Bryant caught a pass across the middle, he was greeted by second-year safety J.J. Wilcox with a hit. Bryant didn't appreciate ending the play on the ground and reacted by charging at Wilcox and throwing a headbutt.
"I wanted him," Bryant said, via ESPN. "He pissed me off. But you know, man, it was in the heat of the moment. When things got calmed down, I told him I love it. Keep it coming."
After the headbutt, Wilcox fired off a right-hand punch and the two exchanged glancing blows before teammates were quickly there to separate them. For Wilcox, the play was all about showing some heart from a defense that was routinely victimized last season.
"It's just a chip on our shoulder," Wilcox said. "We've been 32nd for the last year. It's time to step up."
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett appreciated the emotion and spirit that his players demonstrated, though he'd probably prefer to see a few less punches.
"You're treading a line there, but it's a competitive situation for a reason," Garrett said. "You know, it's never good to have players go to the ground - that's not what we want. But it is good to have them compete, and those two guys are some of the best competitors we have on our team."
While tempers got a little too heated during the practice, it's the kind of thing that can help a team come together in the long run and Bryant is hoping the rest of his teammates can build off that feeling
"I love it," Bryant said. "I love every bit of it. The reason why I love it is because that's what we need. ... You know I love it. We're just going to tone it down a little bit, get it under control, but at the end of the day, we need that out of J.J. We need that out of some more guys on the team.
"That's the only way that we're going to get better. That's the only way that we'll have a shot at being a true power team in this league."
You can view part of the incident (not the best quality) below: