BRYAN McCann: The wait is over

[PonyPride]

The wait is over
SMU grad gets activated to Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster

For the Dallas Cowboys, not much has gone right this year. Expected to cruise to the top of the NFC East division, the Cowboys have stumbled out of the gate with a 1-6 record. In a season that started with owner Jerry Jones harboring dreams of watching his team be the first to play in a Super Bowl in its home stadium, the Cowboys need a miracle just to get back into the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot.

But for SMU graduate Bryan McCann, the 2010 season represents the beginning of his professional career. Signed as an undrafted free agent, McCann spent the summer in training camp with the Cowboys, signed briefly with the Baltimore Ravens and returned to Dallas at the start of the season as a member of the team's practice squad.

Now, as the Cowboys get ready for Sunday night's game at Green Bay, McCann no longer is a member of the practice squad after having been activated to the team's 53-man active roster.

"It feels so good," McCann said Wednesday. "I've ben waiting for this chance."

McCann said his anticipation of Sunday's game with the Packers is different from his excitement before his first game as an SMU Mustang.

"For this game, I feel way more prepared," McCann said. "When I got to college, it had been a long time since I had played, because my last game in high school was only three games into my senior year (because of a broken leg). So I played some sorry high school team, and then ... boom — Texas Tech. I didn't have spring ball, I didn't have summer ... I didn't even really go against the first-team offense in practice.

"But with this, I had mini-camps, I had OTAs, I had training camp. I know this system a lot better than I knew the SMU system as a freshman."

McCann received the news of his promotion, or at least of the possibility of the promotion, Monday, a day after the Cowboys lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"Joe D (special teams coach Joe DeCamillis) came up to me Monday and said they were probably going to bring me up this week," McCann said. "He said to be ready to play a lot of the special teams."

McCann's spot on the roster is at least in part a result of a pair of injuries to other players. Veteran cornerback Terence Newman has an injury to the cartilage in his ribcage, and rookie kick returner Akwasi Owusu-Ansah went down with a high ankle sprain that Owusu-Ansah said Wednesday is likely to keep him on the shelf for four to six weeks.

McCann worked Wednesday in the Cowboys' nickel and dime packages, alternating between covering outside receivers, if Newman can't play, and slot receivers. On special teams, he worked as the kickoff return specialist and the "off return" man on punt returns (lining up deep next to receiver/punt returner Dez Bryant). On the punt team, he is working as a gunner, and on the kickoff team, as one of the outside players whose responsibility includes keeping containment so the opposing returner can't get to the sideline.

"They haven't said exactly how they'll use me, or how much I'll play," McCann said. "But I'm ready. I have been working hard and waiting for this chance. I'm ready to do whatever they ask me to do."

[ponyscott]

Great news!!!Good luck to Bryan..

[DallasDiehard]

Good luck, Bryan!
Great story about one of my favorite Mustangs!

[pwnyxpress]

Well, it looks like I have a reason to watch the Cowboys now.

Good luck, Bryan, we'll all be rooting for you!

[Mustang75]

I hope he is still wearing #37. Always thought that was cool.

[SmooBoy]

Tear it up, Bryan!

[Big Hoss]

He has the ability to make an impact on a team that really has shot themselves in the foot this year. I cannot stand the Cowboys, but I will totally be pulling for McCann to show those other overpaid goons on that team how to be a football player that plays with desire and will to excel and win.

[The PonyGrad]

[SMU 86]

His paycheck should look really good now.

[Ponymon]

Hopefully he is smart enough to save most of that paycheck and not blow it like most players do!

[Junior]

go get 'em, BMac!

[SMU89]

First game at The Frozen Tundra.

Will be watching the Boyz more closely.