FRISCO, Texas – For the first time in three years, the Cowboys' superstars traded the helmet and pads for a night for the baseball bat.
The Cowboys participated in the ninth annual Reliant Home Run Derby at Riders Field in Frisco, just down the street from The Star.
In fact, The Star might be where one of the balls finally landed off the bat of Micah Parsons, who completely stole the show Tuesday night with a couple of monster shots.
But while the players were having some fun and raising money for charity, football is never too far from their minds.
Here are some of the top quotes from some of the players participating in the event.
On his home run derby performance: "I went to BP (batting practice) and saw the bats. I was like, 'Man, I can't use these bats." I went to Dick's (Sporting Goods) and bought a $500 bat before I came out here. I went and bought a $500 bat just so I could hit home runs today. I got my money's worth. That's how competitive I am. I want to do anything to win and because it's a (charitable) cause."
On talking with tight end Dalton Schultz, who's seeking a new contract while on the franchise tag: "Just being able to talk to Dalton, maybe ease his mind through some of this and just understand that I went through this process. A lot of people go through this process. He's a guy that I feel very comfortable with, have a lot of trust with. He knows that. The team knows that. So I'm confident in that situation."
On rookie tight end Jalen Tolbert: "Smart guy, smart receiver, has picked up the playbook and wants to grow, wants to get better. He's always trying to talk to me about film or what I saw or what he can learn on. He's trying to get advanced-level coaching and we're not even through step three (of the offseason program) yet. He's an exciting guy that has a bright future."
On rookie Tyler Smith's progress: "I think he's doing a really nice job. You're asked to a couple different things (tackle and guard), which can be tough as a rookie, but it's only going to make him more valuable to our football team. He's doing a nice job. He's a big, physical, tough guy."
On how the offense can be consistently productive this season:"Making routine plays game in and game out, honestly. It's all on us. We've got to do our job, win our individual battles, and we're going to see what happens."
On what he's focused on most this offseason: "Just my game overall, just everything. I'm still new playing corner, so there are a lot of things I still have to work on. I work on everything."
On Year 2 in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's system: "Same coaches, same scheme, just being comfortable in it and understanding what the coaches expect from us. Just going out there and executing every day is the thing, and being consistent."
On how the Cowboys cornerbacks can improve: "I would say the big plays, the YAC (yards) after the catch. We had a lot of big plays we gave up and I think that'll take the next step up to be elite."
