OXNARD, Calif. – It's only been five days, so it's understandable that Xavier Woods is still processing fatherhood.
Woods welcomed a baby girl, Dallas Carson, into the world on Tuesday. Reflecting on it on Sunday evening, he couldn't quite put it into words.
"When she came into my life, man – that feeling is unexplainable," Woods said. "No words can explain the first time I seen her, the first time she cried – it's unexplainable."
Dallas arrived back in Dallas, which meant that Woods missed the first two days of training camp to spend time with his family. The absence was obviously excused, as Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he kept a long-running dialogue with Woods about the arrival time.
"That's big, man. Family comes first, and he knows that," Woods said. "That's why he let me miss the first day. I'm so thankful and so grateful, just to be able to spend the time with her."
With Woods back in the fold, the Cowboys now have 89 of their players on hand in Oxnard, the lone exception being Ezekiel Elliott. Having gotten back to the practice field, Woods is now set to begin his third season with a new sense of purpose – not to mention responsibility.
"I really have a new focus, to be honest with you," he said. "She gave me a new responsibility, and it's bigger than football. Football was basically all I really thought about before; now it's for her. Everything is for her."
That's a relatable sentiment, and it's going to last Woods a lifetime – even as he dives into his preparation for the 2019 season.
"At the end of the day, I had to come here, I had to take care of this responsibility," he said. "But she has a great mom who's going to take care of her until I get back. And then once I get there, we're going to be great parents."
