FRISCO, Texas -- Jason Witten officially walked away from the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday with a sendoff normally reserved for a conquering hero.
Hundreds of teammates and employees lined the entrance and halls of Cowboys headquarters at the Star as he made an entrance with family and kids in tow.
A sure-fire future Hall of Famer after 11 Pro Bowls, 12 franchise records, a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award and more receptions than all but three players in the history of the game, Witten announced his retirement to join ESPN as an analyst for Monday Night Football during an emotional news conference.
"I can only hope that the men and women in these hallways will say I was a decent man, tried to do things the right way and was dependable," Witten said. "I was never the most talented, never the flashiest. I relied on grit."
Of his decision to retire he said, "Better three hours too soon than a minute too late."
A third-round pick out of Tennessee, Witten, 35, was an ironman at tight end, playing 15 games in his rookie season and 16 every season thereafter. He caught 1,152 passes for more than 12,000 yards, both Cowboys records. He ranks fourth in the NFL in catches behind Jerry Rice, Tony Gonzalez and Larry Fitzgerald.
He was also known as a strong run blocker. Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett once called him "the most dedicated footballer I've ever been around."
As much as Witten excelled as the most prolific pass catcher in franchise history, it was the fact that he was always on the field that typified his legacy the most.
He learned from former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells as a rookie that availability was as important as ability in the NFL. No one in the history of the Cowboys was more available on Sundays than Witten, who left as the Cowboys all-time leader in seasons, games played, consecutive games played, games started and consecutive starts.
He missed one game as a rookie after suffering a fractured jaw. He didn't miss a game after suffering a lacerated spleen in the preseason in 2012. He ran without his helmet against Philadelphia in 2007 in what is the signature moment of his career.
But Witten played in an era when the Cowboys had more playoff disappointments than successes. His career playoff record is 2-6, and he never got to a conference championship game.
"To all the Dallas Cowboys fans around the world, for 15 years I tried to represent you the right way, bring you joy and win you a championship, and while I leave today falling short of that mark, I hope that along the way I made you proud to be a Dallas Cowboys fan," Witten said in his opening speech.
He then told owner Jerry Jones in a personal moment: "The hardest part of this decision was knowing that I would never be able to hand you that Lombardi Trophy. When I told you back in 2006 that I would not let you down, I hope that in your eyes I held up my end of the bargain."
Though Witten had five touchdowns last season, his receptions (63) and his yardage (560) were both the lowest since his rookie season.
It has been a time of change in Dallas. Tony Romo, the Cowboys' quarterback from 2006 to 2015 and a close friend of Witten's, retired a year ago and also headed to the broadcast booth. The team released wide receiver Dez Bryant after eight years, and he has not found a new team yet.
That means the Cowboys have lost their top two receivers in terms of catches last season. Still on the team are Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley. The Cowboys also signed Allen Hurns from the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency last month.
The Cowboys did draft a tight end last month, Dalton Schultz of Stanford, in the fourth round, as well as two wide receivers.
Witten left a message for his Cowboys teammates and coaches who are now charged with the mission of claiming a Super Bowl title that ultimately proved to be beyond his reach: championships are important but enjoying the journey and being a winner in life matters most.
"I hope that I showed to you, that, yes, you can do things the right way, be a leader in your community, be a gentleman, hand the ball to the official after you score a touchdown and show good sportsmanship and still be a really good football player," Witten said in closing. "We're all focused on results and they are important -- but what you learn as you get older is that the journey is the reward.
"If I've learned anything along the way in the last 15 years, it's that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people won't forget how you made them feel. We do good, upright things, because we want to leave a positive legacy in our wake. That is certainly what I tried my best to do during my time with this organization."
Sports on 05/04/2018