Spotlight

ESU Alumnus Pens Book With Dallas Cowboys Legend

By Jeannette DeVader

It was a tall order, one Jeannette DeVader (BSB 1982) didn’t think she could fill. 

DeVader was unexpectedly asked to pen the biography of Dallas Cowboys legend Rayfield Wright. The experience taught her that where you’re from doesn’t determine how high you rise.

In January 2005, DeVader met Wright. During his 13-year career, he appeared in five Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls, and has been recognized as one of the most important people in Dallas Cowboys history. Wright had agreed to appear at a trade show DeVader was attending and she needed a copy of his bio to deliver to the press. They met for coffee, she got his bio. And for three hours they talked about his life, how he became a Dallas Cowboy, and his playing days under the leadership of the great Tom Landry. It was a fabulous story. Wright told DeVader that he had everything written down and was thinking about getting his story published one day. Being an avid reader (and a huge Cowboys fan) she expressed an interest in reading his manuscript.

Later that evening, for whatever reason, DeVader rewrote and redesigned his bio to reflect the character of the gentle giant she had just met. When they met a few days later, she handed over his rebuilt bio. He looked at it in amazement. After several quiet moments (minutes, actually) he picked up his briefcase and tucked away the file folder. Thinking the meeting was over, DeVader picked up her purse and began searching for her keys. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a two-inch-thick binder sliding across the table. Wright said, “See if you can make this look as good as my bio.”  It was his 25-year-old manuscript. “Oh, so I get to read it!” she said, totally missing his point.  He replied, “No,” he replied. “You’re going to write my book.” My words of refute were batted down like a really bad punt. Keep in mind, Wright stands 6’7” compared to DeVader’s 5’4” frame. She wasn’t in a position to argue with him.

And so she began…one page at a time. DeVader got through the first half (from the time he was born in 1945 in the Deep South until he was drafted by the Cowboys) in about three months. When she began the second half, the writing slowed to a sudden halt. She became intimidated. Interviewing the great Roger Staubach. The amazing Tony Dorsett. Mountain-man Bob Lily. Drew Pearson. Jethro Pugh. She had such writer’s block that she couldn’t even write her name.

When DeVader told Wright she couldn’t complete the project or do his book justice, his response said it all. “So it’s halftime. We’re in the locker room. And you’re telling me you want to quit this game?” Wright said. “Yes, sir,” was her somber reply. “Jeannette,” he sternly told her, “you have so many fans in the stadium cheering for you. Your parents. Your family. Your friends. If you hang up your helmet and walk away, you will be disappointing so many of your fans. Besides, I believe in you.”

I’ll give Rayfield Wright this, DeVader said to herself, if he believes in something and prays about it, chances are he’ll drive it over the goal line. And he did.

Two months after the book was delivered, it was announced that Wright was to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The stellar Class of 2006 included Troy Aikman, Coach John Madden, Harry Carson, Warren Moon and Reggie White. Rayfield asked DeVader to write his acceptance speech. It was another daunting task, as she was certain most of the inductees had hired professional speech writers.  The enshrinement ceremony took place on Aug. 5th, 2006, in Canton, Ohio, and DeVader soon realized she had been up to the task. USA Today called Wright’s speech “so powerful, so inspiring for young people.”

DeVader said Emporia State University was a giant step on the ladder as she reached for this pinnacle. Teaming up with a Hall of Famer was certainly a tall order, but this self-described small town girl from Kansas filled it in fine fashion.

See the story in the electronic magazine

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Last Updated April 17, 2008