DeMarcus Ware is back. After his illustrious 12-year career was celebrated by the NFL in February with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ware will be honored by the team where he spent his best years, the Dallas Cowboys. During halftime of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams, he will be inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, joining 22 other Cowboys legends. Ware spent 9 of his 12 seasons playing for "America's Team", and owns the franchise sack record (among others franchise records).
He was selected to 9 Pro Bowls, made either first- or second-team All-Pro 7 tiimes, twice lead the NFL in sacks, and is a Super Bowl Champion.
Although he was considered a top talent coming into the 2005 NFL Draft, it was a bit surprising to see him getting selected 11th overall by the Cowboys. Names like Shawn Merriman and even Aaron Rodgers were still on the board, but Jerry Jones got the man he wanted. Cowboys fans were glad he did.
He took the NFL by storm in his rookie year, quickly becoming not only one of the best at his position, but one of the best overall defensive players, period. While he never received MVP considerations (which is a bit hard to do as a defensive player), he was consistently ranked among the top 100 players in the league. His combination of brute strength and graceful speed were stuff of Offensive Coordinator's nightmares. You could either get overpowered by him or watch him run by you, those were your only choices.
But as is the case for all players, Father Time eventually wins out. Towards the end of his tenure in Dallas, injuries and age caused him to miss games and hampered his effectiveness, and the statistical trends began to show a gradual decline in performance. In his last year in Dallas, he registered career lows in sacks and tackles, and he was unceremoniously released in March of 2014.
The next stop in his career began the very next day in Mile High Country, where he spent the final 3 years of his career with the Denver Broncos. While he didn't experience a dramatic resurgence as some players may do with a change of scenery, he joined a team where he didn't really have to. While in Dallas, he was often in charge of carrying the defense, and never had consistent offenses to compliment his play. Denver was a team being built to win in all phases of the game. In his first season with his new club, he received Pro Bowl honors as one of the top players in the league, even if his numbers didn't match peak-Ware years. The very next year, he remained an effective and important part of a defense that brought a Lombardi Trophy to Denver in Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
I recall watching that game and rooting for the Broncos, mainly because I wanted Ware to get the championship that he rightfully deserved. He registered 5 tackles and 2 sacks against a Carolina Panthers team that featured MVP QB Cam Newton, who only lost 1 game leading up to that game. It was a team performance for the ages, with Ware not just riding the wave of a team destined for greatness, but being a legitimate contributor to the cause.
He played one more year for Denever, and a month after retiring from the league he signed a one-day contract with the Dallas Cowboys to retire as a member of the franchise. Even though he had to leave to complete achieve the pinnacle of success, he eventually came back home.
While prepping to put together this short piece, I spent some time watching career highlights compilations and couldn't help but smile at the great memories he brought on a weekly basis for such a long time, even as the Cowboys franchise wallowed in mediocrity. In a team sport, he stood out individually and raised the level of the teammates surrounding him as best as he could, but ultimately wasn't able to bring trophies to the old Queen City of the Southwest.
Cheers to you, Demarcus Ware
Signed,
An Adoring Fan.