'Hometown Team': Longhorns LB DeMarvion Overshown Humbled By Cowboys Selection
In a cascade of burnt orange button-downs and a swarm of hollering fans, DeMarvion Overshown is easy to spot when walking into Royal-Memorial Stadium.
Nicknamed "the Armband Bandit," Overshown greets the swarm of Longhorns' fans with an infectious smile and a warm demeanor. A Texan through and through, Overshown also dons a black cowboy hat, giving a subtle nod to the fans before walking into the do battle in the Big 12.
The cowboy culture has become a part of Overshown's persona on the Forty Acres. Who knew it would become a calling card for his NFL future?
Overshown, Texas' top defender for three seasons, was selected 90th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the NFL draft. He also became the seventh linebacker to hear his name called on Day 2.
"It means the world." a smiling Overshown said to the local Dallas media on Friday evening via Zoom. "Growing up around Cowboys fans and getting that call where it says 'The Star' and hearing Jerry Jones' voice, that meant the world to me. It's a feeling that I'll cherish forever. I'll never forget it."
A first-team All-Big 12 linebacker in 2022 and two-time Butkus Award semifinalist, Overshown provides versatility to the NFC East franchise which features an All-American caliber defense led by Dan Quinn. His blend of speed, physicality, and sure-fire tackling should nuzzle in well alongside Pro Bowl talents Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawerence, Leighton Vander Esch, Stephon Gilmore and Trevon Diggs.
A native of the Tyler area, Overshown crossed off two dreams Friday night. The first was to hear his name called by Commissioner Roger Goodell. The second; have the team he grew up watching on Sundays as an adolescent in East Texas waiting on the other line.
"I told people all the time that if I ever had a chance to play for anybody, it would be Dallas," said Overshown. "They’re the hometown team for me, and I know how much my family’s going to travel to and from Dallas, especially with it being even closer to them than Austin."
Dallas did its due diligence on the former four-star safety-turned-linebacker in Austin. The two first met when Overshown participated in the Reese's Senior Bowl earlier this year. The Cowboys reconnected with Overshown at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, and later hosted him for one of his seven top-30 visits.
Bloodlines run thick between Overshown and Jones family. Paxton Anderson, Overshown's former Texas teammate of the new headhunter at the second level of Dallas' defense, is the grandson of Jerry Jones. Before the draft, the 6-3 linebacker asked Anderson to put in a good word for him with the man who owns "Jerry World."
Jones answered the call Friday evening, introducing himself to Overshown as "Paxton's grandpa."
"I don't know what he told his grandpa about me, but Mr. Jones said it was an A+ — what he got from Paxton," said Overshown. "Whatever he said, it was good, and I love him for it."
Overshown finished his Longhorn career with 230 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 14 pass deflections, seven sacks and two interceptions in 33 games. By his junior season, new Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian pinpointed him as the locker room leader and a player whose ambidexterity could be used as an advantage.
“DeMarvion’s a guy that moved from safety to linebacker and made so many big plays for us,” Sarkisian said Friday in a statement. “He’s a guy that put in the work and his teammates rallied around, too. D-Mo is really active, very instinctive, and an aggressive and physical football player. Not only is he really good on defense, he’s excellent on special teams, and I think he’s continuing to grow as a linebacker.
"The Dallas Cowboys are so lucky to have him.”
The Cowboys possess one of the league's best units entering 2023. They acquired Gilmore, a former Defensive Player of the Year, from the Colts in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Parsons, a former top selection in 2021, is a multi-purpose defender who provides an added push in the pass-rushing game.
There's little space of area in Big D, but space is one area of weakness for the Cowboys' second level of defense. Overshown should fill the void as the team's future WILL backer.
“My versatility is really what separates my game from a lot of people,” Overshown said. “And I’m ready to show them."
The black cowboy hat will head down the road to Arlington with Overshown come next season, but the nickname "Agent Zero" will stay in Austin. Jayron Kearse, Dallas' starting strong safety, became the first Cowboys player to don the number after the NFL's recent rule change.
“It was fun while it lasted,” Overshown laughed. “I still have my Texas Longhorns jersey … but I think it may be retired.”
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