Newsletter sign-up: 
Get Dallas Cowboys news on your cellFryar checks in on T.O.
9:08 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007 | Permalink
E-mail News tips
 |
 |
 
|
|
February 2008
Categories
Movers and Shakers Pre-season Texas Stadium dallasnews.com
Sports Blogs |
We've gone over the greatest season by a 34-year-old receiver in NFL history on Cowboys Blog. And we'll have more of it in the pages of the Morning News tomorrow. So in the interest of continuing coverage, we bring you the thoughts of Irving Fryar, the former Patriot, Dolphin and Eagle and himself one of great greybeard pass-catchers of all-time. Taken with the first pick in the 1984 NFL Draft by the Patriots, Fryar spent nine seasons in Foxboro, and had just one of more than 800 receiving yards. Then, from 1993-97, he had four 1,000-yard years and five of the six best seasons of his career, those coming from age 31-35 in Miami and Philly. And his explanation of how he did that is interesting. "One of the main reasons was that I grew up," Fryar told us. "Not that I didn’t care before, or had a lack of interest, but I started approaching the game in a different way. Anytime you change like that, you get a different result. The main thing was my mindset. I thought more about perfecting my craft." Fryar did admit there are things that a receiver that age has to overcome -- namely that your wheels don't turn the way they once did. But there are advantages older receivers, guys like T.O., have. That's the power of knwledge. “You’re gonna lose speed, that’s natural, it’s how your body’s made up,” Fryar said. “The first part of my career, I ran 4.2. By the time was with the Eagles, I was a 4.4 or a 4.5. But I was able to play like a 4.2 guy, because I was smarter, I reacted quicker, and I could do things without even thinking about them.” Fryar remains a keen observer of the NFL these days, more than a half-a-decade after his playing days ended. And he keeps an eye on guys at his old position. So he's been watching T.O. Color ol' Irving impressed. "He’s a great receiver, regardless of how people paint him into corner, and say negative things," Fryar said. "The man is catching the ball, getting downfield, scoring points, making the highlight films, all the things a receiver is paid to do, and he does it consistently. He's done it since he put on pro uniform." |
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
Posted by HuskerRed @ 8:54 AM Thu, Dec 13, 2007
Fryar was a class act at Nebraska and throughout his career in the NFL. Meshawn could take a few lessons from IF. Keep hangin' up those numbers TO!
Posted by josh in athens @ 9:07 PM Thu, Dec 13, 2007
definitely a class act, red. he sounds like a good man, and an intelligent man. even his name sounds smart. plus, a pretty good baller.