It was 11 years ago that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walked out of the war room at the Valley Ranch headquarters because he felt his team and son executive VP Stephen Jones made the wrong decision during the 2014 NFL Draft.
Rather than selecting the exciting and crowd-drawing Johnny Manziel, the Cowboys selected a guard named Zack Martin with the 16th overall pick out of Notre Dame.
“The reason you’re sitting in the middle, I think, is because they wanted to separate me and Stephen [Jones] because I still have knots on my chin from him kicking me under the table when we were sitting there discussing that draft day,” Jones said jokingly with Martin sitting between the two at his retirement presser.
Now fast forward 11 years, nine All-Pros, and Pro Bowl selection’s later, an emotional Jones could only sit and listen as he enjoyed every bit of the moment of reflection while the future hall of fame Martin was delivering his retirement speech.
“This room today, I think, is gathered for an appreciation of a person who has taken all the things this [organization] stands for, Jones said. “All that we’re interested in, why we get up, and why we spend our time focused the way we do. If you sum up all the things this room is interested in.
Tony Romo, sitting over there, many of your former colleagues, former players who played with you, are here. But if you take the common interest that we have in this room, that’s why we are here to recognize you for a great career. Just as he [Zack Martin] was concise and efficient in his remarks that covered so many, many accomplishments.”
Martin exemplified what it meant to be a Cowboy during his 11-year playing career and set the standard for many years as a player, especially for younger guys upfront like Tyler Smith, Tyler Guyton, and Cooper Beebe, who had someone to show them the right way of doing things in this league.
“The player you are, the person you are, the leader you are, your unique inner play with the part of our time together has been exemplary, unsurpassed, yet very competitive and very strong,” Jones said.
Next up for Martin will be the Cowboys’ ring of honor, where Jones ensured during the retirement presser that he would get inducted before his greatest honor, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where Martin will fully conclude a career that saw more Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections than holding calls.
For now, number 70 will enjoy what every player desires, time with his family and the opportunity to coach little league.
