For Cowboys fans, nothing rivals the nostalgia of the dynasty days when Super Bowls were a regular, and winning was expectant. Those feelings have lingered and carry a true weight. The NFL’s most valuable franchise, as I’m sure you’ve heard, has only one playoff win in the past sixteen seasons.

Because of the Super Bowl drought, myriad of excuses have claimed to be Dallas’s problem.

You can make the argument that they don’t have the offensive line that boasted all-time greats like Larry Allen and Erik Williams or that they have never been the same team since Daryl “Moose” Johnston, Emmitt Smith and the lead draw. Many have made the case that Romo isn’t as good as advertised and others blame Jerry Jones for his rash decisions in management. Put bluntly, the Cowboys have not had a vocal leader since the days of Michael Irvin. When drafted, long time general manager Tex Schramm believed that Irvin’s brazenness and playmaking ability would “return [the Cowboys] to the living.”

He was right.

Albeit Tex Schramm was not in management for the next three Super Bowl victories, he was partly responsible for rejuvenating a Cowboys organization that failed to win a Super Bowl during the ‘80s.

Four years after Michael Irvin was drafted, the Cowboys once again were Super Bowl champions, though winning came with several run-ins with the law. Irvin battled drug problems and faced several assault charges during his tenure with the Cowboys, but despite his off-field problems, the players hung on his every word. He told him they would be great, and he was right.

After three Super Bowl wins in four years, America’s team had reached the pinnacle of the sports world. It was number 88 that led them to greatness.

In 1999, Irvin was carted off the field during a game in Philadelphia. Since then, the Cowboys have scavenged for a suitable replacement, but time only proved how irreplaceable “The Playmaker” actually was. Serviceable players like Joey Galloway, Terrell Owens and Roy Williams were brought in along with others to alleviate the problem, but they failed to lead the Cowboys back to the winning tradition.

During the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cowboys selected an exceptional talent in Dez Bryant, one who showed many similarities to the outspoken Irvin. Just as they knew of the uncertainties when they drafted Irvin, they understood the fragility of Bryant’s family life and track record with the police. His attitude and talent on the football field was enough to earn the number 88. This is not just a number, but also a mark of responsibility and dedication. This number was worn by one of the best to ever play the position and had been kept away from other players on the roster. Until now.

In his first two seasons, many people were frustrated with Bryant’s life outside of football as it undoubtedly affected his performance on the field. His upbringing and family violence caused concern, along with an argument with a police officer at the NorthPark Mall in Dallas about his pants sagging too low. It was no doubt that many thought that Bryant’s hot temper would boil over at any moment and ruin a potentially great career in the NFL.

At that point, many Cowboys fans were reluctant to see the famed number eighty-eight handed over to a player that was not producing on the field. Dropped balls, fumbles, running the wrong routes, and injuries plagued the first two and a half seasons with the Cowboys, but after his breakout game in week 8 against the Giants, we finally started to see Bryant mold into a new form.

Since 1999 when Irvin went down at Veterans Stadium, the number eighty-eight had been reserved for a player that could talk the talk and most certainly, walk the walk.

Unlike the past few seasons, this offseason has been quiet. Almost too quiet for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans, who are generally accustomed to the spotlight. A few weeks ago, a text message feed between a woman and the alleged Bryant surfaced on a social media website. It was noted that the alleged Bryant was said to have responded inappropriately to the text messages sent to the woman.

When asked about the incident via Twitter, Bryant simply responded by stating that he “does not even have a Dallas number”, regarding the area code that appeared on the text message. Although these text messages were demeaning to the alleged Bryant and the woman responding, Bryant handled the situation in a mature manner, something he may not have done a year or two ago.

With the off-field distractions becoming a non-issue, there is no reason why Bryant should not be completely focused on the upcoming season. His immaturity ultimately defines his past, but those days are long gone. With an improved focus and dedication to the field, expect similar numbers to what Bryant produced in the latter half of the season last year.

Training camp notes from Oxnard, Calif. have noted Bryant’s dominant play. Though only Bryant may stand out for his exceptional practice time thus far, he is helping his teammates get better. The play of the defensive backfield can only improve when forced to face one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the game. Perfect practice makes perfect.

When looking at some of the preseason footage, only one word came to mind when watching Bryant: unstoppable. Literally. Not one team has managed to shut him down, despite scrambling through each cover scheme. Bryant is just like Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions, but more physical. By the end of the season, teams will fear Bryant. That is if they don’t already.