Dez Bryant was regarded as one of the most feared wide receivers in the early part of the decade. And his career could have been potentially received this boost after Michael Jordan had 4 words for him.
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Michael Jordan is synonymous with the sport of basketball. Regarded as the greatest to ever grace the court, Jordan built a brand that revolutionized the sports and sneaker industry in the basketball landscape. However, over 20 years ago, Jordan also branched out to football.
Randy Moss was the first football player to join the Jordan brand. And soon after Moss helped launch Jordan Brand’s football branch, other stars joined him.
This included Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, Charles Woodson, Michael Vick and Warren Sapp. Jordan Brand has also endorsed many other football players since then too, including Jamal Adams, Joe Haden, Jalen Ramsey — and Dez Bryant.
Michael Jordan had 4 words for Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant signed a 3 year deal with the Jordan brand in 2013. He had just come off a year in 2012 where he had caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. While his season on the field was great, Bryant received a misdemeanour domestic violence charge in 2012, but the charge was ultimately dropped. Bryant had also been in the news for settling multiple lawsuits over unpaid loans.
After signing his deal, Dez met Jordan at Jordan’s birthday party and this is where he received career-altering advice. “The only thing he told me was ‘stay out of trouble,”’ Bryant said. “Hearing it come from him … He is a strong voice. His opinion matters.”
“It just adds fuel to trying to do things great at all times,” Bryant said of Jordan’s message, “That’s something you don’t want to mess up. Now, I do pay attention to that, just because of the fact of who he is and what he is about. Everybody knows Michael Jordan is about his business, so that makes you want to be about yours.”
And soon after his conversation, Dez Bryant went on to tear the league up.
Dez Bryant went on to be one of the most feared wide receivers
Dez Bryant had a career year in 2013. And then went on to better it in 2014. He ultimately caught 93 passes for 1,233 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2013. Then in 2014, Bryant was arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. He caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and an NFL-leading 16 touchdown catches that year. He not only earned Pro Bowl honours in 2014, but he was also a First-Team All-Pro.
Dez Bryant was pivotal in leading the Cowboys to a 12-4 record and a playoff win in 2014.
Coincidence or not, Dez Bryant had back-to-back seasons where he was one of the best in the league after teaming up with Jordan Brand. Thus, now looking back, Michael Jordan may have been instrumental in making Dez Bryant the monster that he went on to be.
