Rob Ryan: Dez Bryant 'punked' rookie so bad in practice it ruined his career

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan believes Dez Bryant can land back on his feet following his release.

Ryan advocated for the veteran wide receiver during a recent appearance on FS1's "Undisputed," sharing a story about the time Bryant embarrassed a rookie cornerback in practice.

"He's all football. This guy loves football. He's so passionate about it," Ryan said. "I say he's a genuine article. He's a wild horse. It's what he is.

"Believe me, I made the mistake of putting a first-year corner on him first day of practice and Dez Bryant punked him, knocked him down so bad he had a terrible career. He's still playing, but he's not any good and it's because Dez punked him ... That was the beginning of the end, dumbest thing I ever did. But I'll tell you what, I love Dez Bryant and I believe in him. History has shown, great receivers can come back."

Ryan didn't name the cornerback, but Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News speculates that he was talking about Morris Claiborne, the Cowboys' first-round pick in the 2012 draft. Claiborne missed 33 games due to injuries over his five seasons in Dallas.

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