Just My Type
The Interview
Patrick Crayton
COWBOYS WIDEOUT
The former QB and wide receiver at Northwestern Oklahoma State has two touchdown catches and two punt returns for scores this season
Dan Patrick:Brett Favre has been in the news a lot lately. Have you ever fantasized about another quarterback throwing you a pass?
Patrick Crayton: Fantasized about another quarterback? No, but sometimes when you watch film on another guy, you think, Dang, that was a nice ball.
DP:Who do you look at and think, It would be nice to catch a pass from him.
PC: Drew Brees.
DP:That was quick. Why?
PC: They say his work ethic off the field is second to none; he does so much extra stuff. You can tell from his reads that nothing is fazing him, nothing surprises him. You just love to see that in a quarterback.
DP:Would you rather catch a touchdown pass or return a punt for a TD?
PC: Return a punt for a touchdown because they come so few and far between.
DP:When you raise your hand for a fair catch, is there a part of you that says, I'm sort of surrendering?
PC: Yeah. Trust me, every fair catch I make I'm pissed off.
DP:What's your favorite part of the Cowboys' new stadium?
PC: The locker room. Everything is huge. There are about three or four Jacuzzi tubs for us to sit in before a game.
DP:Is there a teammate you wouldn't get into the Jacuzzi with?
PC: I wouldn't get into the tub with anyone.
DP:So if [338-pound offensive lineman] Flozell Adams says, "Patrick come on in...."
PC: "Yeah, Flo, I'll wait until you get out. Don't worry about it."
DP:I like that you broke the news about Miles Austin's taking over your starting role. How bizarre was that entire situation?
PC: It wasn't bizarre. I was just shocked at first.
DP:It's one thing to be a team player, but come on: I want to start, right?
PC: Of course. I want the ball every play—first, second, third down. Fourth down. In the clutch, at the beginning.
DP:You're happy Miles is doing well, though.
PC: Oh, yeah. Very.
DP:Isn't there a part of you that says, I could have made that play?
PC: Every time he makes one.
DP:It's called competitive jealousy.
PC: It's not jealousy at all, because I'm happy for him. He's helping us win games. It's just competitive, period. My competitive juices [make me feel as if] I can make every pass Tony [Romo] can make, I can make every run Marion [Barber] can. That's just me. I think I can get back there and play DB like our safeties. [Laughs.] That's just me. I always tell myself that in the next year or two I'm going to start taking five- and seven-step drops so I can work on playing quarterback.
DP:What other position do you think you can play in the NFL?
PC: Quarterback and free safety.
DP:How long would it take before you're an NFL-level quarterback?
PC: Give me a season. Maybe even an off-season.
DP:Have they got something in the playbook for you to throw the ball?
PC: Man, I'm so waiting on it.
Near Misses
Watching his team get eliminated by the Phillies in the NLCS was especially difficult for Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti because earlier in the season he was unsuccessful in bidding for two of Philadelphia's top pitchers, Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez (above). Colletti offered the Indians four quality players for Lee (but not Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp). And he says he offered Martinez a free-agent deal for roughly the same amount Martinez accepted from Philly. "Pedro absolutely knows how to pitch," Colletti said. "His stuff is not as good as it was five years ago, but his thought process is Hall of Fame--ish."
Running Man
I spoke with actor Edward Norton just days before he ran the New York City Marathon with three warriors from the Maasai tribe. They ran to raise awareness for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, which wants to preserve tribal lands in East Africa. (Norton finished in 3:48:01.) He's never appeared in a sports film, but Norton has a great appreciation for them. Here are his five best sports movies:
1. Chariots of Fire
2. Hoosiers
3. The Natural
4. Hoop Dreams
5. He Got Game
Now Hear This
Listen to the podcasts at danpatrick.com/interviews
1. Jonathan Vilma discusses the Saints' oft-overlooked D.
2. Barry Larkin on the Cardinals' hiring of Mark McGwire.
THE FINE PRINT: This is getting out of hand. The umpires huddled four times during Game 3 to get Joe West's dinner order correct.
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MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II/1DEUCE3 PHOTOGRAPHY (PATRICK)
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CHUCK SOLOMON (MARTINEZ)
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NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES (NORTON, MAASAI)
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DAMIAN STROHMEYER (CRAYTON)