Like father, like son: Dez Bryant Jr. isn't the only Cowboys legacy starring at Southlake Carroll

SOUTHLAKE — On Southlake Carroll 's opening drive of the game last Thursday against Keller Central , Dez Bryant Jr. took a handoff, found a hole up the middle, had his facemask grabbed for an instant by a defender as he was racing by and continued unimpeded into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.

After crossing the goal line for the first touchdown of his Carroll career, Bryant Jr. made an X sign with his arms. The scene repeated itself later in the first quarter on a 15-yard run: another touchdown and another X sign.

He was paying homage to his father, former Cowboy and three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant , who made the X his trademark celebration each time he scored one of his 75 NFL touchdowns. Bryant Jr., a junior wide receiver/running back, was also introducing another member of the family who could be a star on the football field.

"It was a tribute to him, but also just a start to my own legacy," Bryant Jr. said. "I'm carrying on where he left off, but in my own fashion."

As always, Dad was there to witness it. He's a regular at Carroll games and practices.

"It's an honor," the elder Bryant said. "He's been watching Dad do that all his life, so just to see him do that just showed Dad a little bit of love. It was kind of emotional, but it was great to see."

Bryant Jr. isn't the only son of a former professional athlete who is playing for eight-time state champion Carroll. Sophomore linebacker DeMarcus Ware Jr.'s dad was a Hall of Fame linebacker and a nine-time Pro Bowler who had 138.5 sacks during his 12-year NFL career with the Cowboys and Broncos . Freshman Jason Maxiell II's father is a former Carrollton Newman Smith star who averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds during a 10-season NBA career.

"I got to watch him [play in the NFL] a little bit," Ware Jr. said. "I saw him play in the Super Bowl. That was a pretty unique experience. He helps me with a lot of stuff, just how to do things on and off the field. Like how I play on the field, keeping that same integrity off the field, keeping my grades up, making sure my teammates are keeping it together in class."

Combined with Bryant Jr., the three players have more than 25 college offers.

"I think it's awesome," Carroll coach Lee Munn said. "They are all three pretty intrinsically motivated to be really good. All three of their dads have played at a really high level, so they have that internal belief that they are capable."

Southlake, a thriving suburb of just over 31,000 residents about 25 miles west of Dallas , has become home for several former Cowboys players.

Russell Maryland, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Cowboys who won three Super Bowls, saw his son RJ Maryland become a four-star tight end at Carroll and go on to play at SMU. Christian Glenn, son of the late Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn, was a running back on Carroll's state runner-up team in 2024 and is now at the University of Mount Union.

Ware Jr. grew up in Southlake, while Bryant Jr. transferred to Carroll last year after previously attending Colleyville Heritage.

"I've always lived in this area," Bryant Jr.'s dad said. "I had a home here and mom had a home in Colleyville. One of my dreams was to get him here. Carroll is a great program for development, especially if you've got some talent. I think they are one of the top high schools that can get your kid prepared for college ball."

Munn doesn't feel pressured having former pro athletes watching how he coaches their sons, he said, and none of the three came into the program feeling entitled or expecting to start just because of who their fathers are. Munn said he has a good relationship with Bryant and gladly listens to any advice he offers.

Carroll, a Class 6A Division II state semifinalist last season, is 2-2 after beating Keller Central 35-17 last week in its District 4-6A opener. Bryant Jr. ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries after being used more as a running back than wide receiver, his normal position.

Maxiell II, a two-sport athlete who also plays basketball and lists football offers from Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Baylor and Texas State, said he thinks Carroll can win its first state title since 2011, even though the team has already matched its loss total for the last two years combined.

"I think we're capable of making state and winning state and going undefeated from now on," he said.

Ware Jr. and Bryant Jr. said watching film of, and with, their fathers is a regular occurrence.

"It's pretty much every day after practice, just a quick 30-minute session to critique a few things," Ware Jr. said.

Bryant Jr. said he also watches video of NFL stars Justin Jefferson , Ja'Marr Chase and Zay Flowers and of college standouts Malachi Toney and Jeremiah Smith to hone his skills.

"It's a great thing," Bryant Jr. said of having a dad who played in the NFL. "I get to learn from somebody who has done it at the highest level, and I get to implement that into my game, as in how I need to work, how I need to prepare, how to watch film. Watching film isn't just clicking through plays. It's deeply analyzing each player's movement."

Besides throwing up the X after he scored, Bryant Jr. had another moment this season in which he looked like his dad. In a season-opening win over Jenks (Okla.), he caught an 18-yard pass and appeared to have scored before being ruled down at the 1-yard line. As he lay there, with the ball stretched toward the goal line, he resembled the famous photo of his father from a Cowboys playoff loss to the Packers in January 2015, when he had a play near the goal line first ruled a catch before being overturned to one of the most legendary incompletions in NFL history.

But that's not what Bryant Jr. remembers about his play. He and his father just talked about Bryant Jr.'s release as he was beginning his route and what he could have done differently.

Bryant Jr. has 14 offers, including one from his father's alma mater, Oklahoma State. The elder Bryant isn't trying to sway his son on where to go.

"I am going to take him down [to visit], but everything is up to him," he said. "It's his life. I'm his pops, and I'm just here to support him."

Even though he was a superstar for "America's Team," Bryant said he doesn't talk about his NFL career with his son that often. Ware Jr., who has offers from Colorado, Colorado State, UTEP, UT-San Antonio, SMU and Baylor, said his father is the same way.

"He got to witness it, so I don't talk to him much," Bryant said of his career. "Now if he asks me a question, I give him my best advice or my best opinion, but other than that I sit behind him. I let him live his life, and whatever he needs, I'm just there."

That Bryant is at games and practices, watching his son intently, is something Bryant Jr. embraces. Especially the feedback, whether it's positive or negative.

"It's like having someone in your ear all the time, but in a positive way," Bryant Jr. said. "You've got to do this, you've got to do that. But it's really how you take it. You can either crumble and fold or you can take it in a positive way and add it to your game. I feel like that's what I've been doing so far."