IRVING, Texas – Not long after Jeff Heath signed with the Cowboys, he noticed they were actually playing this season in Detroit, which is located just 39 miles from his hometown of Lake Orion, Mich.
His first thought was how great it'd be if he were on the team and traveling to the game.
But now, it looks like Heath will be doing even better than that. Because of a sprained knee injury to rookie safety J.J. Wilcox, there is a good chance Heath will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Lions, a team whom he grew up following.
And better yet, he'll have quite a contingent of family and friends there to see him. Heath said this week he's in the neighborhood of 80 tickets, and that number could grow now with his possibility of starting.
"It's just a weird coincidence if it happens this week with me going back home," Heath said. "But you never know when it's going to be your time and your number gets called. I'm excited about the opportunity."
While head coach Jason Garrett wouldn't rule out Wilcox to play, Wilcox himself said it's unlikely he would play this week and maybe not even next week against the Vikings. Garrett did have some positive things to say about Heath, an undrafted rookie from Saginaw Valley State in Michigan.
"We certainly like him. He's done a lot of nice things for us," Garrett said. "He's a college free agent who came in and said 'I'm going to make your football team.' He first showed up on [special] teams but he's been a solid performer on defense." [embedded_ad]
Garrett was asked to name his best attribute but he didn't come up with just one.
"He has a lot of good traits. Physically, he has a lot of tools," Garrett said of Heath. "He's big enough to play the position. He runs well. He has good ball skills. He's physical. He just finds a way to get away from people and gets to the football."
Last week, the Cowboys rotated Heath into the game on defense in the first quarter. While it was perceived at first that Wilcox was getting benched, it was simply a way to rotate Heath into the game.
"I think that really helped me and my confidence," Heath said. "I know if I start this week, I'll be more prepared for it because of I've gotten to play a little more."
In the Eagles game, Heath was credited with a tackle on defense and another on special teams. He currently has five tackles and ranks second on the team with seven special teams stops.
Last week in Philly, Heath did come out of the game with a sore right forearm, which required an MRI on Monday. He downplayed the injury, though, and said it's nothing that would keep him out of playing this week.
"I might wear something on it but it won't be anything major," Heath said of a possible brace. "It'll be more like a tight wrap."
It sounds like it's going to take a lot more than a bruised forearm to keep Heath out of Sunday's game, which has a chance to be a homecoming and his first NFL start, rolled into one.
