French philsopher Albert Camus wrote "Integrity has no need of rules." According to the Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant is in need of rules. What the team feels about Bryant's integrity -- or absurdism -- remains up for debate.
Aiming to curb the 23-year-old wide receiver's off-the-field problems, the Cowboys have crafted a set of guidelines for him, as was first reported by Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. Per the ESPN report, the rules were agreed to and took effect on August 23 and include a curfew and a constant team security detail. Bryant is prohibited from drinking alcohol and visiting strip clubs. He will also reportedly undergo weekly counseling.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett spoke to reporters about the rules on Monday.
"What we've tried to do is come up with a plan for Dez like we would for any player who we feel like needs our support, and help him be his best as a player and as a person," Garrett said, via the Associated Press. "And the accountability factor is an important part of that with him and with anybody on our football team."
David Wells, Bryant's adviser, spoke about the guidelines with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"We have some things in place and we are still in the process of working out the rest," said Wells. "We are all working together to accomplish some things to help him succeed."
Athletes needing a support system away from the game isn't highly uncommon. For five seasons, Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton had Johnny Narron serving as his mentor to help him battle his drug and alcohol addiction. Narron was a member of the coaching staff during his stint with the Rangers but was known most for helping Hamilton keep on the straight and narrow.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Wells also helped set up a security detail for Pacman Jones, another troubled NFL player.
The announcement of the "Bryant Rules" come just more than a month after he was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence after allegedly attacking his mother, Angela Bryant, during an argument. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas a few weeks later that he was still "too pissed to talk" to Bryant after the incident, but eventually met with the troubled wideout.
The recent arrest was just the last of a long list of Bryant's run-ins with the law. Shortly after his rookie season in 2010 ended, Bryant was kicked out of a Dallas shopping mall and was sued twice over unpaid jewelry bills.
In January of 2012, the 2010 first-round draft pick was detained by police after he got involved in a nightclub fight in Miami.
Can the Cowboys help Bryant maximize his potential with these rules?