FRISCO, Texas — Alabama Crimson Tide All-American offensive guard Tyler Booker, the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, hasn’t been a Cowboy for even a week.
However, he already has both All-Pro edge Micah Parsons and Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones ready to run through a brick wall after each have heard him speak. Parsons interviewed Booker on Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft live reaction show shortly after the latter was selected by Dallas. After he heard Booker talking about making his opponents lose their love of football while going against him, he got Parsons screaming, “God damn, you just got me hype! Let’s go! Hey man, welcome to the team!”
Jones had an equivalent reaction — as much as an 82-year-old can have to Parsons’ fiery reaction — while sitting next to Booker at his introductory press conference Friday afternoon. He likened Booker’s leadership qualities and energy to Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin. Jones waxed poetic about Irvin inspiring fellow Dallas wide receiver Alvin Harper’s 70-yard reception in the Cowboys’ 30-20 NFC Championship game victory in the 1992 season.
“Listening to Tyler, I’m reminded that I don’t know that we ever see a Super Bowl that I would have a chance to be a part of if it weren’t for Michael Irvin,” Jones said on Friday. “Michael, we know the competitor. We know the challenger, and we know the spirit. But the part of Michael Irvin that was most impressive was he was the leader.
“For instance, when Alvin Harper [made the 70-yard catch] against San Francisco in the NFC Championship game and nobody could believe that play was called. Michael and Alvin Harper were in the huddle together, and Harper got in the spot that Michael might’ve thought he should’ve had because they both thought the ball would go to Harper. Of course, Harper ran 80-something yards right off the goal line. … I was talking to him about that because I’d heard he’d told Alvin, ‘You be a man. Whatever you do, you don’t even think about doing anything but take that thing across the middle. You don’t even hesitate. You grab that ball and you run to the total end. But don’t flinch. We’re all counting on you.’ … The rest is history. [Harper] made the play.”
It was then revealed that Irvin had set that play in motion years earlier by building an off-field connection with Harper.
“Michael later told me, ‘You don’t think that transpired just because we were on the goal line in San Francisco and the huddle there?” Jones said. “He said that started four years ago and he said, ‘You don’t call on each other right at huddle time or right in a game. You put it in a long way back.’ He [Irvin] said Alvin got a call to come talk to his Sertoma club in his hometown, and he was trying to ask me what to say. And I [Irvin] said ‘How would you like for me to go with you to your hometown, Alvin, and I’ll go down there with you and we’ll both go to the Sertoma club?’ He [Irvin] said you have to put that in sometime years before you call on it in a football game.”
At the conclusion of that story, Jones turned to Booker who was sitting next to him and lauded the 21-year-old for possessing the “same” type of leadership juice and ability.
“That’s looking around the corner. That’s awareness. This boy’s got it now. Same stuff,” Jones said. “They’re different now, obviously. But looking around the corner, leadership, thinking ahead, what’s it going to take to win one of these things.”
The next day at the Cowboys’ end-of-draft press conference, Jones couldn’t help but compare Booker to Irvin once again, labeling both of their energies as simply electric and “contagious.” Safe to say Dallas is convinced it has a cornerstone player on its offensive line for many years to come.
“You better watch out if you see a consensus or you see an agreement,” Jones said. “Whoever’s looked at him [Booker] — coaches, scouts, what have you — and they look and say, ‘God knows this guy just, shit, he just causes you to feel funny around him.’ He just has got some energy, or he’s like that. That’s real stuff. That really is real, and these guys look for it.”
“That’s an energy in that room right there that can be very contagious. Again, I compared it to Michael [Irvin]. Well, they’re world’s apart in what they fundamentally are with their lives and that type of thing. But one thing about Michael Irvin now, boy, if you touched him, you popped him, your clothes sparked if you touched on Michael. I’m being overly demonstrative here, but that’s worth looking for in football players, and people have that.”
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Christensen and Rashford secure a hard-fought victory for Barcelona
Barcelona needed late goals by Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford to defeat third-division club Guadalajara 2-0 on Tuesday in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey in a game delayed because of problems with the stadium's temporary grandstand.Kickoff was delayed by half an hour because local authorities did not initially allow fans access to the newly built grandstand at the Pedro Escartín stadium in the city of Guadalajara near Madrid.There were long lines outside the stadium until police finally permitted fans inside. The stadium's capacity increased from nearly 6,000 to about 8,000 with the new stand.Barcelona was in control from the start but struggled to create significant scoring chances against its lower-tier opponent.Christensen finally broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with a header off a cross by Frenkie De Jong. Christensen's header deflected off a defender before […]
The reasons behind why Lionel Messi didn’t play during India tour
Lionel Messi's recent visit to India was framed as a landmark moment for football fans, and in many respects, it lived up to the hype. Over the course of three tightly scheduled days, the Argentine legend traveled across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, attracting massive crowds wherever he appeared. For a country where elite football icons are rarely seen in person, Messi's presence alone was enough to spark nationwide excitement.Rodrigo De Paul did this next to Lionel MessiIn Delhi, the atmosphere was electric. Thousands filled the stadium not to watch a match, but simply to witness Messi walk onto the pitch. Fans chanted his name as he greeted supporters, signed jerseys, kicked footballs into the stands, and spent time interacting with young players.The energy intensified when he appeared alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, turning the […]
Megan Rapinoe blasts USMNT World Cup slogan, calls message misguided
Megan Rapinoe has taken aim at the U.S. men's national soccer team, criticizing its newly unveiled campaign slogan ahead of the 2026 World Cup.The former U.S. women's national team star said she was put off by the phrase "Never Chase Reality," arguing that it carries unintended and negative implications about the team's self-belief.Rapinoe shared her thoughts on a recent episode of A Touch More, the podcast she co-hosts with partner Sue Bird and sportscaster Katie Nolan."The team's slogan going into the World Cup - this was like their drop - and their slogan is 'Never chase reality,'" Rapinoe said. "I was like, guys, I don't think it's saying what you think it's saying."Rapinoe added that, to her, the phrase sounded as if the team already doubted its own level. "Why didn't we just stick with something like 'Dream big?'" she […]
Australia star Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test
Australian batsman Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.Usman Khawaja replaces Smith, who captained Australia for the first two Tests. The third Test, which England must win to have any chance of regaining the Ashes, starts at 11.30pm UK time. "Steve's been feeling a little bit unwell the last couple of days. He came and gave it a crack this morning but didn't think he was going to be up for this one," said returning Australia captain Pat Cummins, who won the toss and chose to bat first."So he's headed off home but pretty lucky we've got someone like Usman who can step right in. He's going to bat four." Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Cummins. He hit the winning runs […]
Australia star Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test
Australian batsman Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.Usman Khawaja replaces Smith, who captained Australia for the first two Tests. The third Test, which England must win to have any chance of regaining the Ashes, starts at 11.30pm UK time. "Steve's been feeling a little bit unwell the last couple of days. He came and gave it a crack this morning but didn't think he was going to be up for this one," said returning Australia captain Pat Cummins, who won the toss and chose to bat first."So he's headed off home but pretty lucky we've got someone like Usman who can step right in. He's going to bat four." Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Cummins. He hit the winning runs […]
MLB rumors: Alex Bregman sweepstakes add surprising new team, NPB ace’s suitors narrow, Yankees target reunion
The 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason is ongoing and, with the Winter Meetings drifting farther behind us, we're working our way deeper into the sport's offseason calendar. Among other things, the winter in baseball means a steady supply of rumors regarding free-agent signings, trades, and the like. Speaking of which, you can find Tuesday's roundup just below. D-backs in on Bregman?There have been whispers about a possible trade of Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte for weeks, even as Arizona aims to compete in the tough NL West. As such, if they do deal Marte, where might they turn? Enter free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. The Diamondbacks are "kicking the tires" on Bregman, reports USA Today.There's some shuffling to be done here, but it could work. If the D-backs find a taker for Marte -- who has five years and $91 million […]
Related
Christensen and Rashford secure a hard-fought victory for Barcelona
Barcelona needed late goals by Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford to defeat third-division club Guadalajara 2-0 on Tuesday in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey in a game delayed because of problems with the stadium's temporary grandstand.Kickoff was delayed by half an hour because local authorities did not initially allow fans access to the newly built grandstand at the Pedro Escartín stadium in the city of Guadalajara near Madrid.There were long lines outside the stadium until police finally permitted fans inside. The stadium's capacity increased from nearly 6,000 to about 8,000 with the new stand.Barcelona was in control from the start but struggled to create significant scoring chances against its lower-tier opponent.Christensen finally broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with a header off a cross by Frenkie De Jong. Christensen's header deflected off a defender before […]
The reasons behind why Lionel Messi didn’t play during India tour
Lionel Messi's recent visit to India was framed as a landmark moment for football fans, and in many respects, it lived up to the hype. Over the course of three tightly scheduled days, the Argentine legend traveled across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, attracting massive crowds wherever he appeared. For a country where elite football icons are rarely seen in person, Messi's presence alone was enough to spark nationwide excitement.Rodrigo De Paul did this next to Lionel MessiIn Delhi, the atmosphere was electric. Thousands filled the stadium not to watch a match, but simply to witness Messi walk onto the pitch. Fans chanted his name as he greeted supporters, signed jerseys, kicked footballs into the stands, and spent time interacting with young players.The energy intensified when he appeared alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, turning the […]
Megan Rapinoe blasts USMNT World Cup slogan, calls message misguided
Megan Rapinoe has taken aim at the U.S. men's national soccer team, criticizing its newly unveiled campaign slogan ahead of the 2026 World Cup.The former U.S. women's national team star said she was put off by the phrase "Never Chase Reality," arguing that it carries unintended and negative implications about the team's self-belief.Rapinoe shared her thoughts on a recent episode of A Touch More, the podcast she co-hosts with partner Sue Bird and sportscaster Katie Nolan."The team's slogan going into the World Cup - this was like their drop - and their slogan is 'Never chase reality,'" Rapinoe said. "I was like, guys, I don't think it's saying what you think it's saying."Rapinoe added that, to her, the phrase sounded as if the team already doubted its own level. "Why didn't we just stick with something like 'Dream big?'" she […]
Australia star Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test
Australian batsman Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.Usman Khawaja replaces Smith, who captained Australia for the first two Tests. The third Test, which England must win to have any chance of regaining the Ashes, starts at 11.30pm UK time. "Steve's been feeling a little bit unwell the last couple of days. He came and gave it a crack this morning but didn't think he was going to be up for this one," said returning Australia captain Pat Cummins, who won the toss and chose to bat first."So he's headed off home but pretty lucky we've got someone like Usman who can step right in. He's going to bat four." Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Cummins. He hit the winning runs […]
Australia star Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test
Australian batsman Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.Usman Khawaja replaces Smith, who captained Australia for the first two Tests. The third Test, which England must win to have any chance of regaining the Ashes, starts at 11.30pm UK time. "Steve's been feeling a little bit unwell the last couple of days. He came and gave it a crack this morning but didn't think he was going to be up for this one," said returning Australia captain Pat Cummins, who won the toss and chose to bat first."So he's headed off home but pretty lucky we've got someone like Usman who can step right in. He's going to bat four." Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Cummins. He hit the winning runs […]
MLB rumors: Alex Bregman sweepstakes add surprising new team, NPB ace’s suitors narrow, Yankees target reunion
The 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason is ongoing and, with the Winter Meetings drifting farther behind us, we're working our way deeper into the sport's offseason calendar. Among other things, the winter in baseball means a steady supply of rumors regarding free-agent signings, trades, and the like. Speaking of which, you can find Tuesday's roundup just below. D-backs in on Bregman?There have been whispers about a possible trade of Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte for weeks, even as Arizona aims to compete in the tough NL West. As such, if they do deal Marte, where might they turn? Enter free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. The Diamondbacks are "kicking the tires" on Bregman, reports USA Today.There's some shuffling to be done here, but it could work. If the D-backs find a taker for Marte -- who has five years and $91 million […]
Be the first to leave a comment