Dez Bryant Appears to Pay Tribute to Late Father After TD vs. Steelers

After scoring a touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday's 35-30 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant appeared to pay homage to his late father.

"Bryant is playing this game with a heavy heart," Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram tweeted. "His father died on Saturday. He kneeled and pointed skyward after TD."

The Cowboys shared the moment:

Per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Bryant's father died because of an illness.

Bryant shared an Instagram photo with a message to his father:

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talked about his receiver's outing Sunday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "I think the game gives him peace. I told him, 'Your father is watching. He's got the best seat in the house.' I told him to honor him today, and Dez went out and did exactly that and had a great night."

Bryant, who honored his father with one of his best performances of the year, tallied a season-high 116 receiving yards, and his 50-yard touchdown reception marked one of five second-half lead changes in the dramatic contest.

Ezekiel Elliott's 32-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left gave the Cowboys the lead for good, but Bryant will likely remember Sunday's game for more than the win.