Dez Bryant's Arrest Proves Talented WR Doesn't Have Maturity to Be Elite Player

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has demonstrated on more than one occasion that he has the talent to become a star in the National Football League.

Unfortunately, the 23-year-old has also shown more than once that that million-dollar talent is attached to a 10-cent head, and Bryant's inability to stay out of his own way is a bigger threat to his NFL career than any defensive back.

Bryant's history of off-field troubles got a bit longer over the weekend. The third-year pro turned himself in to DeSoto, Texas police after a misdemeanor domestic violence warrant was issued for his arrest stemming from a Saturday altercation with his half-brother, according to a report by ESPN's Tim McMahon.

Were this latest arrest an isolated incident with Bryant, it might be easier to dismiss as one poor decision made in the heat of an argument. However, this most recent dust-up is anything but an isolated incident, and at this point, there's no denying that a disturbing pattern has emerged regarding Bryant's inability to stay out of trouble off the gridiron.

In 2009, before ever entering the NFL, Bryant was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for failing to fully disclose the extent of his relationship with former star cornerback Deion Sanders. Before taking his first NFL snap, Bryant was sued for failing to pay for upwards of a million dollars' worth of jewelry.

In March of 2011, a confrontation with a security guard at a Dallas mall over saggy pants led to Bryant unleashing a profanity-laced tirade and being escorted from the building. Last January, Bryant was detained by police but not arrested after a nightclub fight in Miami.

That's a handful of incidents in about three years. If once is an isolated incident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern, then what's five? Serial stupidity?

As Dez Bryant showed in hauling in over 900 yards' worth of catches and nine scores over 13 starts last year, the talented youngster is more than capable of taking over a football game.

However, as this latest incident would appear to indicate, Bryant is apparently incapable of keeping his personal life in check, and all the talent in the world isn't going to help Bryant and the Cowboys if he ends up on a forced vacation courtesy of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

After all, that would just be one more opportunity for Bryant to get into trouble.

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