Jason Witten Loses Helmet, Shouldn’t Lose His Voice

Jason Witten has proven himself in many ways throughout his NFL career. He has earned an enormous amount of respect within the Dallas Cowboys and around the NFL. One of the most enduring images of Witten is of when the big tight end loses his helmet during a game in Philadelphia in 2007.

Late in the game, Witten loses his helmet after a monstrous hit by an Eagles safety. While many players would have simply gone down, Jason Witten continues to run down the field with no helmet, and a look of sheer determination on his face. For those who may have forgotten or missed this moment of greatness, here is a reminder of Jason Witten when he loses his helmet.

Witten’s determination to score, even with no helmet, shows how great a player he truly is. It is time for Witten to use his reputation to be a positive force within the Cowboys locker room

With the disastrous end to the 2008 Dallas Cowboys season, there are many issues that the Cowboys must resolve if they are to do any better in 2009. One of the most pressing issues is to find a leader within the team to keep the Cowboys focused as the season progresses.

There were numerous factors that went in to the Dallas Cowboys recent disaster. With plenty of internal strife, the team is desperate for a senior player to step up and take control of the locker room.

It is clear that the coaching staff of the Dallas Cowboys is not up to the task of keeping the team focused. Wade Phillips is simply not an assertive coach.

Many problems came from players acting out and causing unnecessary problems. Adam Jones, who was already on thin ice, was involved in a fight at a Dallas hotel. Terrell Owens caused numerous problems with his whining for the ball and complaints about a perceived bias of Tony Romo for Jason Witten.
In all of this controversy, there was no player that stepped up in the locker room to lead the team. No one stood up to Owens and told him to shut up and play. No one gathered the team around to inspire them when the chips were down.

Every truly great team needs a senior player to step up and lead from time to time. Look at Peyton Manning for the Colts, or Brett Favre for the Packers. Even Ray Lewis stands out among the Ravens as a leader. Every one of these teams is a solid team, and each one has a player step up as a leader.

This begs the question, where was the senior player in the Dallas Cowboys this season. When considering the roster, Jason Witten stands out as a senior player with a tremendous amount of respect.

However Jason Witten, the man who is fearless enough to keep running after he loses his helmet, was too quiet when the team really needed him. Witten is as widely respected for his abilities as Owens, or any other player in the league, however when push came to shove, Jason Witten did not assert himself as a positive influence on the team.

The Cowboys are in desperate need of leadership throughout the organization. The coaching staff needs to regain control of the team, but when all else fails, there needs to be a locker room presence to take control and tell players to shut up every once in awhile.

Next year, it is imperative that Witten establishes himself as a leader early in the season. Witten has always led by example, as is evidenced by his playing with broken ribs, a broken jaw, and with no helmet, but the Cowboys need more from him. He can no longer lead by example. Some situations will require Witten to stand up to players within his own locker room and keep the team focused. The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most famous sports teams in the world. It is a certainty that this popularity will give rise to controversy. It is therefore imperative that a locker room presence is established to keep this high profile team focused down the season. Jason Witten is that presence. He has the credibility, now he needs to use it if the Dallas Cowboys want any chance at a championship.