During the first part of his first NFL season, rookie Dallas Cowboys cornerback Bryan McCann said he didn’t call his former defensive coordinator at SMU, Tom Mason, because “he wanted me to make the active roster first.”

In just three weeks, SMU grad Bryan McCann went from an anonymous member of the Dallas practice squad to the cover of the team magazine (photo by Dallas Cowboys).

It’s a pretty safe guess that Mason would answer McCann’s calls now. Three weeks into his tenure as a member of the Cowboys’ active roster, McCann has become a national media sensation, contributing the biggest play in each of the last two games to help lead the Cowboys to a 2-0 start under interim head coach Jason Garrett. Against the New York Giants, he stepped in front of an Eli Manning pass and raced 101 yards for a touchdown with his first career interception, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in the process. A week later, McCann scooped up a punt at the 3-yard line, turned toward the outside of the field and outraced the Detroit Lions down the sideline for another touchdown. For his efforts, he was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

“If he goes back to SMU now, he’ll probably need a police escort,” said rookie linebacker Sean Lee, whose locker is next to McCann’s at the team’s training facility in Valley Ranch. “They’ll roll out the red carpet — maybe the red and blue carpet — for him, and he has earned it.”

McCann is having fun with his newfound celebrity status, as are his teammates. While watching McCann entertain a throng of reporters after practice earlier this week, tight end Martin Rucker yelled, “you’ve changed!” at McCann. Linebacker Leon Williams leaned in and interrupted McCann’s interview long enough to ask, “do you need anything? Can I still call you my teammate?” Martellus Bennett, no stranger to media attention, actually grabbed a microphone away from a reporter and conducted his own interview with McCann. (Bennett’s interview, not surprisingly, concluded with the question: “Who’s your favorite teammate?” Ever the respectful rookie, McCann answered, “Marty B … of course.”)

Even veteran receiver Roy Williams, who is well known for his general disdain for rookies, said of McCann, “he’s the man. ‘Mr. McCann’ is what I call him.”

That’s pretty lofty praise from a guy who, when asked about McCann

“They have been on me all day,” McCann said, smiling. “They’re having fun with it, but they’re cool about it.”

McCann’s quick thinking prevented additional ribbing by his teammates.

“I got here the other day and I got out of the car with shades on,” McCann said. “I remembered at the last minute and put them back in the car, which is good, or they (teammates) would have had something to say about that, too.”

McCann has drawn plenty of smiles from another former undrafted free agent, interim Dallas head coach Jason Garrett (photo by Terry Robinson).

McCann’s electric returns have not gotten him any special favors from the Dallas coaches, either. After his interception return against the Giants, McCann sat out the ensuing kickoff.

“(Special teams) Coach (Joe) DeCamillis said he couldn’t believe I sat out that kickoff,” McCann said. “He said I’m a rookie, so I hadn’t earned that right yet. So this week, after I took the punt back, he looked at me and pointed (toward the field). I went in as the gunner, and sure enough, the ball came to my side. I was worn out.”

McCann has plenty of help keeping his sudden stardom in perspective. After the New York game, his father, Juarez, told him he had “nowhere to go but down.”

After the Detroit game?

“He told me he didn’t know what I was doing when I grabbed that ball, but he was proud of me,” McCann said. “But then he reminded me that I got tackled by a kicker, too.”

After the New York game, McCann had more than 80 e-mails and text messages for him. After the Detroit game, about 50 more awaited him. His Twitter account (@bmac929) has gone from “about 100” followers two weeks ago to nearly 500.

But in case anyone thinks McCann is getting unfairly treated because of his status as a rookie, or perhaps because of his status as an undrafted free agent, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“He has come in and earned the respect of everyone in this locker room,” Lee said. “He comes in and works hard and studies. When he was on the practice squad, he practiced hard on every play — you could see it every day.

“The thing about that punt return against Detroit was that it was not only a great athletic play, but it showed how smart he is and how well he listens to the coaches. Coach D (DeCamillis) has been talking to us all year about how, when a guy knocks a punt back out of the end zone, it’s a live ball. Bryan actually went for the punt before the one he took back, and then, when he got another chance, he just made a great play. He’s a great athlete, but he’s also a really smart player. He deserves every bit of his success.”