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Back to Ballin'
7:11 PM Thu, Dec 13, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer
It would've been tough enough for Cowboys seventh-round pick Alan Ball had he not made the final cut following training camp.
But he did. And that's what made his Sept. 2 ouster from the 53-man roster particularly difficult. Imagine that: One day, you've made an NFL team as a rookie. The next day, you're gone.
"It was definitely tough, because you work so hard," Ball said. "That’s the one thing you want to do, the first step is to be (on the roster.) But things change."
They changed again on Tuesday, when Ball was the beneficiary of Remi Ayodele's release (Ayodele officially re-joined the practice squad on Wednesday night). And Ball's promotion, the coaches say, was in large part due to the fact that, as a member of the practice squad, he showed a high level of desire and gave the offense a good look every week.
"Very competitive, very competitive," defensive coordinator Brian Stewart said of Ball. "He’s good around the football, he can play outside as well as inside, so he can play some nickel for us also. Very competitive player."
Plus, showing off his skills on a day-in, day-out basis hardly hurt. As Stewart said, "You could ask T.O. and those guys how they feel about Alan Ball. They’d probably give you a pretty good description of what kind of player he is."
So the Cowboys now have a sixth corner on the roster. Here's the other five:
-- Terence Newman
-- Anthony Henry
-- Jacques Reeves
-- Nathan Jones
-- Evan Oglesby
Oglesby's been active for just two games this season, even while the team has battled injuries at the position.
So there's a pretty good chance that Ball will be a game-day inactive from here on out, and that the team made the move simply to keep other teams from signing him. Ball said he was unaware of any outside interest, while agent Ryan Morgan said that the move was more about the Cowboys liking his client than anything else.
Whatever the case may be, Ball's just happy to get the late call-up.
“It’s real exciting," Ball said. "A big change for me, especially at this point in the season.”
7:11 PM Thu, Dec 13, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer
It would've been tough enough for Cowboys seventh-round pick Alan Ball had he not made the final cut following training camp.
But he did. And that's what made his Sept. 2 ouster from the 53-man roster particularly difficult. Imagine that: One day, you've made an NFL team as a rookie. The next day, you're gone.
"It was definitely tough, because you work so hard," Ball said. "That’s the one thing you want to do, the first step is to be (on the roster.) But things change."
They changed again on Tuesday, when Ball was the beneficiary of Remi Ayodele's release (Ayodele officially re-joined the practice squad on Wednesday night). And Ball's promotion, the coaches say, was in large part due to the fact that, as a member of the practice squad, he showed a high level of desire and gave the offense a good look every week.
"Very competitive, very competitive," defensive coordinator Brian Stewart said of Ball. "He’s good around the football, he can play outside as well as inside, so he can play some nickel for us also. Very competitive player."
Plus, showing off his skills on a day-in, day-out basis hardly hurt. As Stewart said, "You could ask T.O. and those guys how they feel about Alan Ball. They’d probably give you a pretty good description of what kind of player he is."
So the Cowboys now have a sixth corner on the roster. Here's the other five:
-- Terence Newman
-- Anthony Henry
-- Jacques Reeves
-- Nathan Jones
-- Evan Oglesby
Oglesby's been active for just two games this season, even while the team has battled injuries at the position.
So there's a pretty good chance that Ball will be a game-day inactive from here on out, and that the team made the move simply to keep other teams from signing him. Ball said he was unaware of any outside interest, while agent Ryan Morgan said that the move was more about the Cowboys liking his client than anything else.
Whatever the case may be, Ball's just happy to get the late call-up.
“It’s real exciting," Ball said. "A big change for me, especially at this point in the season.”
