You know, I have been paying a lot of attention to the Dallas Cowboys the past two years, or so, and I am still a little surprised at my reaction to Adam “Pacman” Jones. I have been hearing about him and his unscrupulous behavior for more than a year, and I knew to expect someone known as a troublemaker. And maybe it is too early to make any real decision on that part of Pacman, but with all the attention he has been grabbing lately, it’s hard not to wonder about it.

Here is a guy that has not played any real football in more than 18 months; he has just been working out and trying to keep himself in the best shape possible. He has been trying to clear up his past mistakes and get on Commissioner Goodell’s good side again, but he has also been making appearances on television and radio. The latter is where he actually spent, from what I hear, around two hours talking about his troubled past and the outlook on his future.

At that time, he was still offering his opinions on joining the Cowboys, though now he is officially part of the team. The commissioner granted him a partial reinstatement to the NFL, allowing him to practice with his team all the way through until the end of training camp. More specifically, he will be given his final ruling on September 1st as to his future in the league. That is when he will find out, a mere eight days before Dallas lines up for the opening kickoff to their regular season, if he can be a part of the Cowboys when it counts.

As of now, Pacman Jones is making friends with some very well known players in Dallas. Dione Sanders and Tank Johnson seem to have taken the biggest interest in him, and have each taken their roles in coaching and supporting him through what appears to be the end of his suspension. Adam Jones is full of confidence each time he states to the media that he is doing what he needs to do to make an easy decision of his future for the Commissioner, but I still have doubts.

A new city in a new state for a new football club, and yet his past still haunts him like last nights tuna. Can he ever get a break from it? Or will he continually carry the burden of his transgressions with him? It is a point to consider for other players in the league as well, like Michael Vick, how will he ever recover from his ordeal and continue his NFL career?

An answer is not likely to develop anytime soon, in either case, but it is something that I think about just as much as hearing Pacman is making something of a spectacle of his return to the turf. Granted, intercepting a pass from a third string quarterback in no contact drills is nothing more than mundane, but perhaps there is more to it.

Have you ever thought about what it takes to be a football player in today’s NFL? You must be in better shape than your average Joe working out for a couple of hours every other day at the local gym; it just goes more in-depth than your muscles and BMI in this league. Your mind has to be sharp and your stamina must be lasting and able to take a beating, especially when you are running drills during June in the Texas heat.

So I look at Adam Jones and say “Good for you Pacman,” go out there and show them all how serious you are about this opportunity. “Do not let the media get you down,” because if all he does is just keep to himself for the next three months, it will be enough. No one is asking him to perform miracles, just to stay out of trouble, and out of police inquiries.

It really is not so hard to accomplish, and for succeeding he will earn himself a place on the team as the number three cornerback, maybe even better.