Coming back home… Witten spends bye week at alma mater with wife and friends
Published 12:24 am Tuesday, October 29, 2019
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Former Elizabethton Cyclone, Tennessee Vol, and current Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten was at Neyland Stadium on Saturday with his wife Michelle and friends to take in the Vols game against South Carolina during the Cowboys bye week.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton native and Dallas Cowboy tight end Jason Witten spent Saturday at Neyland Stadium with his wife Michelle and a group of friends watching as his alma mater took care of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Witten and his Cowboy teammates had a bye week this week.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
KNOXVILLE – So you are a 16-year veteran of the National Football League and your Dallas Cowboys have a bye week in the 2019 season. How should one spend their weekend off?
For former Elizabethton Cyclone and Tennessee Volunteer Jason Witten, it was a trip back to where the 11 time Pro Bowl tight end first got noticed by owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys leading up to him being selected as the 69th pick in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft and now is on pace to being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame once his career is finished.
Witten is one of the most memorable Vol’s For Life and is still highly sought out for photo opportunities by fans everywhere he goes.
On Saturday, he returned to Shields-Watkins Field inside Neyland Stadium where the former Cyclone became a fan favorite much like he was when he stepped onto the field at Brown-Childress Stadium where he played for his grandfather, Dave Rider.
This time, the visit was with his wife, Michelle, and some friends to watch as his alma mater put a whipping on the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks 41-21.
After playing 15 seasons, Witten retired from the Cowboys to go to the booth for ESPN’s Monday Night Football but soon discovered he still had a burning passion to play the game and returned back to Dallas this season.
Through seven games to date, Witten has been targeted 31 times and has 26 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdowns came against Washington and the New York Giants and his biggest game receiving was five receptions for 57 yards in a loss to the New York Jets.
Coming into this season, Witten has the most career receptions in Cowboy history with 1,152 and also receiving yards with 12, 448 and has caught 70 touchdowns. In 2012, Witten was award the Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year Award.
