Dez Bryant came into the NFL as one of the top WR prospects in 2010. He was confident and walked into the Dallas Cowboys locker room, not fazed by the veterans. Traditonally the rookies are the ones who are given the responsibility of carrying the training pads of the vets; some of the best in the game have had to do that, but Bryant was not willing to follow the rookie hazing norm of the locker room. It was then that veteran receiver Roy Williams had planned to get back at Bryant at a team dinner.

A few other veterans also played their part, and the plan was to get the bill as high as they could by treating themselves with the delicious food and expensive wine Papa Bros in Dallas had to offer. The rookie came in 45 mins late, but by then the vets had already ordered a lot to try and get the bill to an amount that would make Bryant think twice before refusing a senior player. A former Dallas Cowboys player, Jesse Holley, who was at the dinner, spoke about the night and described how owner Jerry Jones got involved.

“I was a part of one of the most epic rookie dinners in all of sports, the Dez Bryant rookie dinner. God, the famous $52,000 dinner.” Holley said on his podcast, Unfiltered with Jesse Holley. “I’m not a drinker but they brought out they said what’s the most expensive liquor you have they said we have this bottle of Louis the 13th rare Cask it’s always in a light too out in front they got to put the white gloves on they got to wheel it out they hit a button this thing opens up it kind comes out this Illuminating Light $300 a shot”

Holley recalled walking out after having his dinner. However, he did mention what was believed to have happened that night.

“Story has it that Jerry Jones eventually picked up the tab because we were there as Cowboys,” Holley said.

According to Holley’s estimation, the bill came to $52,000, but reports from ESPN and other outlets confirm that the original amount was $54,896. While there is a disparity in the amount, Holley confirmed that Bryant was not happy when he saw the bill.

“The way that Dez spazzed out and then, ‘I’m not paying it,’ I was like, ‘Up rook.’ The way that it goes in the NFL is, first-round rookie pays majority of it, the next pick kind of picks up, so they break it down first round, second round, third round, etc etc,” Holley added.

Although the truth of that story can be debated. According to Tim Rohan of Sports Illustrated, the bill for the dinner was reportedly settled by several Cowboys players stepping in and chipping in together to pay the bill. The staff at the restaurant in question,  Pappas Bros, could not confirm Jerry Jones stepping in to clear the bill.

“As far as Jerry stepping in,” Turner says, “Jerry is always very passionate about his players, but I don’t remember [that].”

Bryant never confirmed if he actually paid for the dinner. But it did gain a lot of popularity among the Cowboys fans, as the manager of the restaurant pointed out.

“People from all over the country will ask, ‘Isn’t this the place where Dez spent all that money?’” said the manager.

After the infamous dinner incident, Williams managed to play the entire season with the Cowboys. However, after the 2010 season, he was released by the team.

Bryant, on the other hand, went on to play in Dallas for six more years and make a name for himself as one of the best receivers in the league.

Dez Bryant used similar tenacity to become a Cowboys superstar

Bryant was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft after an outstanding collegiate career out of Oklahoma State University. The tenacity he displayed by refusing to carry pads for his vets defined the rest of his Cowboys tenure.

Bryant was a fiery, combative, and explosive player. He’s been captured multiple times being vocal with his teammates and at the game in general from the sidelines. He also backed it up with outstanding production on the field. In 113 games as a Cowboy, Bryant tallied 7,459 yards and a franchise record 73 touchdowns. He made three Pro Bowls and one First Team All-Pro in his eight seasons in Dallas.

Bryant was also a fan favorite due to his production and personality, and had an iconic TD celebration for himself, too. He would throw up the ‘X’ with his hands after scoring a TD.

He certainly put the locker room on notice by standing up to the veteran player. However, it only worked out for him after because of how talented he is and the things he ended up doing in Dallas. His stint with the Cowboys saw him make three Pro Bowl teams and one first-team All-Pro. Although his start seemed a little rough after his incident with the veteran Williams, he showed his brilliance on the field and quickly won the respect of the locker room.