whether to answer a question he probably knew was

IRVING, Texas - Brandon Carr stared away from a small group of reporters, looking a little emotional and unsure how or whether to answer a question he probably knew was coming.Breast cancer awareness month is a big deal in the NFL, putting pink on footballs, coaches, referees and all kinds of equipment worn by players throughout October.This year it arrived almost two months to the day after Kathy Carrs death following a long battle with the disease, during the early days of training camp when the Dallas Cowboys were without their high-priced cornerback while he spent his 59-year-old mothers final days with her.So yes, the leagues tribute means a little more to Carr now. And hes a different person these days, shutting out almost all things that arent football or family. His mom is part of the reason, but so is his teams surprising 3-1 start with the defence exceeding expectations.You just have to continue to try to live a great legacy and continue to motivate and do great things, Carr said. Thats what I took from everything my mom went through was she still was trying to get after it and motivate her grandchildren, kids at school or just whoever she came across. Im going to try to finish out her task.And that means helping the Cowboys, who face the equally surprising 3-1 Houston Texans on Sunday, break an 8-8 rut that has kept them out of the playoffs the past three seasons.The post-season drought is actually four years, or two years before Carr arrived on a $50 million free agent contract to address one of the teams biggest needs.Now hes consistently grading as the best defensive back Dallas has, and clearly seen as an emotional leader as well.Hes got an old soul ... you know, very mature for his age, said defensive end Jeremy Mincey, a free agent who joined the Cowboys this year. Hes a poised leader. Hes like Tony Dungy. Hes got the quiet strength. But hes speaking when it needs to be spoken, and thats what makes him special.Carr has had to put his quiet strength to the test several times in his three seasons with the Cowboys.During Carrs first year in Dallas in 2012, former Kansas City teammate Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend before driving to the team facility and killing himself. Belchers girlfriend was a close friend of Carrs fiancee, who is now his wife.Just a week later, Cowboys practice squad player Jerry Brown died in a car wreck that resulted in an intoxication manslaughter conviction for defensive tackle Josh Brent. Carr attended two memorial services in less than a week.This time around, he was back at practice just a few days after saying his final goodbye to his mom. He wears two bracelets that belonged to her so were skin on skin still.I think about her a lot, Carr said. I still sometimes I feel empty, and I dont know why. What Ive learned in this situation is that youre never alone. My mom always told me, Youre never the first and youre never the last. Thats true in this case. I just lean on people.The Cowboys are 3-1 for the first time since 2008, and the defence kept New Orleans out of the end zone for three quarters just a year after giving up an NFL-record 40 first downs.Carr isnt really interested in film-type talk about a turnaround engineered despite the loss of linebacker Sean Lee to a knee injury, defensive end DeMarcus Ware in a salary cap move and defensive tackle Jason Hatcher in free agency.He sees it as just another year in the system, more players knowing what opposing offences and their teammates are doing, and therefore being in better position to knock down passes or deliver hits that make receivers think twice before the next catch.And maybe the broken record of 8-8 seasons is part of it.You just get tired of the same results, get tired of the same story lines and everything, Carr said. All the disappointments.So Carr doesnt watch TV, doesnt look at the schedule. He swears he didnt know the Cowboys were visiting Super Bowl champion Seattle next week. He doesnt talk to a lot of people who used to be a regular part of his weekly chatter.His dads an exception, of course. The two have spent the past couple of weeks together, and when his dad was about to go home to Michigan earlier this week, Carr gave him the look that said, Nah, you cant leave.In my case, I can smile, Carr said. Its a victory that my mom was a strong fighter, courageous. Stood there in the midst of all the cancer, everything going bad for her, and was still able to experience life and her family. Thats what its all about to me. But this month is pretty big.Its big in paying homage to his mom, and getting the Cowboys closer to that elusive playoff berth.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler Dan Bailey Jersey . - Mike Zimmer has brought a demanding style to the Minnesota Vikings. Mike Remmers Jersey . The first of the three games will be played in Week 4, when the Oakland Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins on Sept. http://www.officialminnesotavikingsfootball.com/authentic-brett-favre-jersey-womens . Minutes before the final whistle of Sporting Kansas Citys 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Montreal Impact squad on Saturday afternoon, Saputo tweeted: "Our fans deserve better. John Randle Jersey .James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a four-game losing streak with a 106-74 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night. Mackensie Alexander Jersey . So they rushed to re-sign the first baseman who general manager Ben Cherington described Friday as "a unique player." The World Series champions finalized a $32 million, two-year agreement Thursday with the slugging former catcher who turned into a surprisingly good defender.As part of the CFL ON TSNs Thanksgiving Day pre-game show, the network highlighted an inspirational story thats touched the hearts of many around the league. Jack & Brian is a TSN Original Feature that tells the tale of the friendship forged through football between Saskatchewan Roughriders Brian Peters and a young boy from Chicago named Jack Marshall. Fronted by Brian Williams and directed by Ross Rheaume, the feature aired yesterday afternoon in the lead-up to the Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes. Rheaume provided this description of the making of the feature: There are several pretty amazing moments in the Jack Marshall and Brian Peters story, moments that make you pause and ask, Can this really be true? A boy who was told hed never walk again, inspired by a football player to prove everyone wrong. When he beats the odds and attends the last football game of the season, that player makes the game-saving fumble recovery. It might seem unbelievable, but what Ive found in shooting this feature over the last couple months, however, is that the closer you get to their story, the more you begin to think, Thats just typical Jack and Brian. When I read the 2011 article on Jack and Brian by Lake The Posts, and watched the subsequent Big Ten Network feature online, I was inspired to find out more. My main question was, Whats their relationship like now, three years later? From the moment I got on the phone with Jacks mother, Joanna, it was clear nothing had changed. BP, as hes referred to by the Marshall family, flew down to Jacks school and surprised all the kids after he won the Grey Cup last year.ddddddddddddHe went to Jacks birthday party as well. I had to be ready to get off the phone at any minute because BP might be calling in from Regina to ask about Jacks baseball game. Or maybe to chat about Jacks ongoing rehab. Or maybe just to chat about guy stuff. Theyre still best buds. When the Riders caught wind of the story and wanted to help surprise Jack with a jersey and tickets to a game, our feature cameras were given a unique opportunity – to be there in-the-moment as a new chapter of Jack and Brians story was written. Normally, we recount stories that have happened in the past, but this time, we were going to experience this great friendship in real time. The rest is right there in the feature: Jack surprised Brian on the field before the game and got his wish to cheer his hero alongside Rider Nation. A Chicago kid living out his dream in Regina. Great story, right? We were in for something more. In overtime, the Riders needed a big play to prevent a game-tying field goal. As the kick went up, a hand reached above the fray and blocked it. The Riders won, the stadium erupted, and Jack and his parents went wild. Amid the sea of euphoria on the sideline, Brian Peters emerged, pointed up to Jack in the stands, and waved him and his family down to the sideline. As Jack got to the rail, Brian handed him his game-worn gloves and said, I blocked it. Typical Jack and Brian. Check out the video above to watch the TSN Original Feature Jack & Brian. 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