Cowboys 'Unsung Hero' Jayron Kearse to Surgery: 'I Gave It Everything I Had'

Highlighting Jayron Kearse's contributions to the Dallas defense. ... which make him a Cowboys "unsung hero.''

FRISCO - If the Dallas Cowboys were a movie, the leading man is obviously quarterback Dak Prescott, with a large cast of main characters that include receiver CeeDee Lamb, linebacker Micah Parsons and running back Ezekiel Elliott. 

But as the credits roll on, which player would earn the spotlight as unsung hero?

NFL.com picked one unsung hero, whose contributions flew under the radar, from all 32 teams. Safety Jayron Kearse is the Cowboys selection:

Kearse's career has become a captivating tale of persistence. The Clemson product slid far down the draft board in 2016, landing with Minnesota in Round 7, then fizzled out with both the Vikings and Lions. In 2021, he signed with the Cowboys -- and he's done nothing but play quality football since.

 Kearse always seems to be in the perfect position to make key plays. He finished with 77 tackles, one interception, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, two recoveries and two sacks in 2022, but his performance has been about more than stats. The average Cowboys fan will agree: Kearse (along with Donovan Wilson) has become an integral part of Dallas' defense on the back end under the direction of coordinator Dan Quinn.

A highlight from Kearse came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Dallas' Wild Card round victory. Kearse intercepted Tom Brady in the first quarter of the game: it was Brady's first redzone interception in a playoff game ever. 

To add to the 'unsung hero' storyline, Kearse battled through injuries: A Week 1  knee injury that sidelined him shortly ... then a pregame knee problem during warmups before the Texans game in which he played anyway ...  That shoulder injury on Thanksgiving that had him playing with a harness (and now requires surgery) ... and the MCL sprain suffered late against the Buccaneers that he vowed to play through. S

“I gave it everything I had,'' an emotional Kearse said following the playoff loss at San Francisco.

While the the Cowboys did grab their first playoff road win in nearly 30 years, the team fell short of their ultimate goal. Dallas will be watching the Super Bowl from home on Sunday, February 12. The Kansas City Chiefs (1.5-point underdogs) will try to pull the upset over the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona to become Super Bowl LVII Champions.

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