IRVING, Texas - Jason Garrett loves the story of Pudge Huffelfinger, by all accounts the first American pro football player.Heres why: The basics of winning football in 1892 were no different than they are today, which means the message doesnt have to change.And the message never changes with the Dallas coach. Not during three straight 8-8 seasons that raised persistent questions about his job security. And not during a breakthrough this season that has the Cowboys (12-4) set for Sundays wild-card game against Detroit (11-5), their first in the post-season since 2009.Hes been giving the same speech since the first day he got the job, cornerback Orlando Scandrick said.Circumstances have changed.Garrett took over when owner Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips with the Cowboys at 1-7 in 2010. Garrett was the offensive co-ordinator, and Jones believed quarterback Troy Aikmans backup from the Super Bowl days of the 1990s could match the success of one of his coaches, Jimmy Johnson.When the Cowboys finished 6-10, there was little reason to doubt the move. But then came the .500 rut, questionable game management by Garrett, and three straight season-ending losses that kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs. Not to mention several significant changes in the coaching staff.Garrett came into this final season of his contract with Jones steadfastly maintaining an extension wasnt imminent. But now the question has essentially been answered, replaced by talk of Garrett as a Coach of the Year contender.I think Jason is going to be a better coach five years from now than he is today, and I think hes a much better coach today than he was five years ago, Jones said earlier this season. Hes a growing, smart, hard-working coach that is really getting some great experience.Garretts unflinching message is simple. Show up every day and do your job. Be the best version of yourself, regardless of circumstances. Be ready to play, whether its home, road, parking lot or the moon, as he likes to say.I think you coach them emotional on how to be their best, Garrett said. Thats ultimately what youre asking them to do: be your best, not try your best.The message was never lost on the two players hes been around the longest , quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten, even through the monotony of season-ending disappointments. Romo recently said one of the best moves Jones made was keeping Garrett even though the Cowboys got within a year of the longest playoff drought in franchise history.Hes done a great job motivating, said Romo, who set a franchise record with an NFL-leading 113.2 rating this season. I think hes just a great leader and someone that everyone looks up to. Hes done a great job this year.Case in point, according to Witten: Garretts upbeat outlook after a season-opening loss to San Francisco that included three first-half interceptions by Romo in his first game since back surgery at the end of the 2013 season.I think great coaches are always a step or two ahead of the rest of us, Witten said. He just kind of pointed out a lot of things we did well and talked about, Guys, if we continue to do these things, were going to be a real good team.The son of former NFL coach and scout Jim Garrett, Jason grew up in the game with brothers John, who was on the Dallas staff until a shuffling two years ago, and Judd, a former practice squad player and now director of pro scouting for the Cowboys.John Garrett agrees that his younger brother succeeds through his consistent message. He says it helped that the Cowboys drafted offensive linemen in the first round three of the past four years. Now they have NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray to take some of the load off Romo.Jones also took some of the load off Garrett by pulling play-calling duties last year, although it took another season for him to get more comfortable with the hiring of Scott Linehan before this season.I always knew that Jerry and Stephen (Jones) and the entire organization had the utmost respect for him and they really believed in him as a leader, as a good football coach, and as the leader of the team, John Garrett said. With all those traits and all those beliefs, what has to come with it is success on the field. If they had not had a successful year, you wouldnt have been surprised if they didnt stick with him.Now that Jones has, it might be worth noting that his coach hasnt had a losing record and is 41-31 in four-plus seasons. And that there are only two coaches with more wins in Dallas: Tom Landry and Johnson.We were always to the point there were a few things that happened that could have went a different way, Scandrick said. It wasnt like we were just horrible and this coach is terrible. No. And it wasnt his fault that we werent getting over the hump.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler Delanie Walker Titans Jersey Cyber Monday . "Whatever happens, happens," Bolland told TSNs Mark Masters on Monday. "If its staying here, its staying here. Thats my goal." Bolland was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to this season for 51st and 117th overall picks in the 2013 NHL draft, as well as a fourth round pick in this years draft. Terrance West Jersey Black Friday . When it comes to the struggling New York Knicks, Derek Fisher might be running out of ways to motivate them
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