Nate always a BIG draw at camp Nate always a BIG draw at campAUSTIN - Dallas offensive guard Nate Newton is one of the best offensive
linemen in the NFL. He's also one of its best talkers.
As the nation's media discovered during Super Bowl week this past January,
sometimes it's best to just let big Nate ramble on any subject that comes
up.
And he did that one day last week, on subjects ranging from the Cowboys'
chances this season to the salary cap to board games to Shaquille O'Neal
to the Dallas media and to Demi's Moore's, uh, assets in the movie "Striptease."
And here's just a sampling of some of Nate's thoughts on those subjects
and more.
* Nate on the Cowboys' prospects for 1996: "There are so many
'ifs' about our depth. The offensive line will be one of our keys, and that
means we have to run the football. I always attribute our success to Emmitt
Smith, because before we had him we didn't win nothing. We had Troy (Aikman)
and Michael (Irvin) and some of our linemen, but after we got Emmitt and
Charles Haley, everything changed. But I really feel good about we've got."
* Nate on being a two-way player, ala Deion: "I did play defense
in college, but I got into a hassle with the coaches and here I am. But
if I was a defensive player, there ain't no amount of money the Dallas Cowboys
could come up with to keep me because I'd be fearsome."
* Nate on the expectations placed on the Cowboys: "It's always
something about us that's not right. We could come down here all at age
24 with Troy's arm 10 times better than it is and Emmitt 50 times stronger,
and people would say we didn't have enough experience. It's always something."
* Nate on the NFL salary cap: "I like the salary cap in some
instances because it does pay the guys who deserve it. But it also robs
you of your depth. It would sure be nice to be sitting here with (Kevin)
Gogan, (John) Gesek and (Russell) Maryland on this team.
"But we're hurting because we don't go out and get guys who don't fit
into our system. We have a certain way of doing things, and if a guy doesn't
fit that, we won't get him. But it's like the rest of the NFL is taking
players away from us, no matter if he fits their scheme or not."
* Nate on dealing with the Dallas media: "The pressure in Dallas
is getting too great because a player can't express himself and get it across
to anybody without it being blown out of proportion. In Dallas it's hard
to get a fair shot, and that's ugly. That gets old.
"Like with Leon Lett. What he did in the Super Bowl (being chased down
from behind by Don Beebe) wasn't any big thing. We were kicking Buffalo
all over the field at the time. But the media blew that up, as well as what
he did in the Miami game. And now a guy who you guys should be able to talk
to can't even do that. Do you see him every time a member of the media wants
to talk to him? He starts wiping sweat off his forehead and looks like he's
about to have a heart attack. That ain't right.
"The players and the media should all be able to get along. We could
all make a lot of money together."
* Nate on the monotony of training camp: "I don't know about
no monotony. I don't know if that sets in, but I do know Monopoly does."
* Nate on the fans at training camp: "You know, they're all
out here chanting, 'Deion, Deion,' but I'm so pretty, I really think they're
all looking at me."
* Nate on Shaquille O'Neal's blockbuster contract: "I don't
need Shaquille money. He needs what I have, because I'm real. The people
love me and I'm an entertainer."
And what of Moore's talents in her latest movie?
Well, let's just say that Newton wasn't impressed. Something about not being
real, which Newton certainly is.