Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett's policy on domestic violence is simple: if a player is involved in a case of alleged domestic violence, he won't be allowed to play for the Cowboys - regardless of whether he's been convicted.
The Dallas Morning News reports Garrett made his policy known to Cowboys' players in the wake of recent incidents of violence involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy.
"Part of what our jobs are as coaches is to create the right environment for our players to function both on and off the field," Garrett said. "So we need to be clear about where we are. We need to be clear that we have a structure in place to help anybody who has any off-the-field issues."
Garrett also made it clear the Cowboys won't shun their players if they get into trouble off the field.
"If you’re dealing with anything off the field and we can help with, we’re here for you. Having said that, there are standards that we have about all off-the-field behavior and certainly domestic violence applies to that. We’re just very clear with how we’re going to handle things."
Curiously, Garrett's promise was drawn into question Thursday with reports that Cowboys special teams player C.J. Spillman will be allowed to continue practicing with the team despite sexual assault allegations made against him.
Garrett said Spillman will be permitted to remain with the team until he's arrested or charged.
