'Heartbreaking': Cowboys Tyron Smith Talks On Issues Of The Day

FRISCO - Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith has for a decade represented the Dallas Cowboys in many ways - most of them in ways that don't include much public speaking.

But his Thursday visit with the media here inside The Star allowed him to express his view - and maybe his team's view - on the issue of the day.

"Heartbreaking," Smith said of the the Jacob Blake shooting by Wisconsin police, the latest in a series of tragedies that have athletes working to raise awareness of social injustice. "There's only so much we can do. As a group, we have a tight group here, and so have a lot of areas where we can discuss it and handle it the best way. That's all we're trying to do."

That effort this week has included a host of meetings to discuss everything from the important of voting to the following of the lead of other NFL teams and other pro sports in postponing events in protest. The Cowboys opted to practice on Thursday. Smith indicated they will do the same today.

"We're still going on by our schedule that we usually do,'' he said, "but we're still in discussions about how we're going to handle this whole thing as a team."

As with coach Mike McCarthy, who spoke earlier in the day about the lost wish to use "sports (as) a great escape for tough times in our society'' - the pivot from this serious issue to football issues can be an awkward one. McCarthy's Thursday morning presser was all about the social issue.

"You can’t escape what’s going on right now,'' said McCarthy, whose father worked with the Pittsburgh Fire and Police departments. "We got major, major challenges in our society right now that need to be addressed and the best way to get there, what’s the answer? It’s not going to happen overnight but I think this energy and this focus needs to definitely be pointed to the challenges in front of us. ... Things need to change.”

The conversation with Tyron did briefly shift to football, as he noted his daily work against Aldon Smith - “Heck of a player. It doesn’t look like he’s lost a step at all. Still the same guy. He brings it every day'' - and his precautionary sit-outs of practices due to a hamstring problem.

Smith called the ailment a "little nick'' as he returned for limited work in Ford Center. “Everything is looking positive right now and moving forward like usual,'' said Smith, who was describing his football health ... and unfortunately, not the health of the nation.