OXNARD, Calif. — A kid in a candy store. That's essentially what DeMarvion Overshown is as he stands on the practice field for the Dallas Cowboys at his second training camp in Oxnard, only he's not a kid anymore and the candy is actually other human beings paid to play football that he's looking forward to knocking around.
A third-round pick in 2023, Overshown stole the show in his first training camp, but his season ended before it could begin — a torn ACL suffered in August putting him on the shelf until now.
"You remember all of the good times and the stuff that you were able to be good at, and you just wanna build off of that," said the East Texas native turned Cowboy. "I'm definitely coming back with that mindset of, 'Man, I've been here before. It ain't nothing.' It's just trusting what I know, trusting my body and knowing that I'm gonna be good again."
Most often, it takes players some time to get back to the business of playing at a high level due to the mental hurdles associated with such a devastating injury, and particularly when they've literally never been the victim of one before at any point in their football career.
Hell, given the timing of when he suffered his ACL tear, he's even been helping First-Team All-Pro Trevon Diggs, who was also new to it, through the process of his own recovery by giving him progress reports on what Diggs should expect at certain intervals of his rehabilitation.
It ultimately became a collective of Overshown, Diggs and both John Stephens Jr. along with David Durden comparing notes as they all worked to return from the same injury.
One word comes to mind here: brotherhood.
Overshown has never given the impression he's going to have that issue though, because it's one thing to note his perpetual positivity and infectious smile, but it's also the fact he believes everything happens for a reason and, to that point, he's not going to overthink any of this.
He's just going to get back out there and play football the only way he knows how to:
With his hair on fire.
"I tell people all the time that the last time I didn't play football for a year was before I ever started playing," he said. "Putting the pads on and being able to hit somebody, it's gonna feel good. I know I'm gonna be limited, but I'm definitely gonna be out here. You're gonna hear my pads popping.
"I'm gonna throw my pads around. Even if I gotta hit myself, I'm hitting somebody."
That first padded practice will be on Tuesday, July 30.
The good news is Overshown won't be relegated to beating up on himself when the pads come on, because he's already gotten off to an "explosive" start to camp, per head coach Mike McCarthy, to the point the team has ratcheted down his special teams reps to keep his workload numbers the same — not wanting to sacrifice the reps he's inhaling on first-team defense.
His return lends to a fully rebuilt corps of linebackers that also includes the additions of Willie Harvey Jr., the 2024 UFL leader in tackles, a rookie third-round pick in Marist Liufau and former First-Team All-Pro Eric Kendricks.
Damone Clark isn't stranded on Gilligan's Island anymore.
Word to Mary Ann and Ginger.
"I feel like we've got a full group," said Overshown, beaming at the thought of playing alongside such talent. "We've got a healthy group of linebackers this year. That's saying a lot right there — just having linebackers that are able to play. Last year, really, Damone Clark was really the only linebacker that was with us from the preseason to the end of the season.
"That was just a lot on him. But now that he has the support going into this season with other guys being there, and me just bringing the energy back. I left on a good note and that's where I wanna pick back up — bringing that energy to the defense. We run and we're violent."
Having added six pounds of lean muscle over his pre-injury weight, which was already six pounds over his pre-draft weight, Overshown used his rehabilitation time wisely and worked closely with the Cowboys' training and nutrition staff to add weight the right way; and the right kind of weight.
Much like Stephens Jr., Overshown had a plan, and he's already gotten accustomed to how to move his new mass around with the same effectiveness as he did the lighter version of himself.
"At first it was a little new, but once we started running around, I felt like myself again," he explained. "We were competing everyday, so it's not like I put on a lot of weight and wasn't doing [anything]. Me, John [Stephens Jr.] and David [Durden] were competing every day, so I felt used to it. And now, with the training we've had, I was able to keep my speed, my agility, and still feel bigger and stronger.
"… I'm way stronger than I was last year and my legs are way stronger, so I'm looking forward to playing at this weight."
He looks good doing it thus far, and there's no reason to believe that will do anything but improve as time progresses over the next several days, weeks and months.
Overshown has been tasked with WILL (weakside) duties and his outstanding ability to cover can now marry to a bigger, stronger frame that should make him more effective in not only tackling, but in imposing his will with every tackle he executes.
He wants ball carriers to feel him after they get back up and head to the huddle. It'll make them think twice about coming his way, not that he can't chase them down from anywhere on the field — because he can.
It's all about playing freely and flying all over the field to make plays, in all the ways.
"[I feel] no pressure at all," he said with a more serious tone. "They drafted where they drafted me for a reason. I already had that chip on my shoulder that I wanna be another guy, and not just a guy, but another guy out there making plays. I'm putting that all on me.
"They want me to take my time and come back when I'm ready, but I'm expecting big things out of myself."
Bottom line: is he ready to be unleashed?
No, seriously.
Is he READY ready??
He has no choice but to be, and he knows it, because it's go time for the demanding Mike Zimmer and the Cowboys.
"Oh yeah, I'm ready," Overshown said. "Any chance I get to play football. I feel like that's a blessing right there. This isn't something that I just do. I love to do it.
"Any chance I get to step on the green grass, especially with these players, I'm playing excited the whole game. I'm looking forward to y'all looking forward to watching me play."
The inherent irony here existing in the entendre of those two words here, because that's exactly what Overshown is doing in 2024:
Looking forward.
