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Undrafted Rookie Safety Stuns Cowboys Camp With Jaw-Dropping Defensive Plays

While the Cowboys’ locker room has been filled with headlines — from Micah Parsons’ trade request to injuries shaking the offensive line — a quiet storm is brewing on the other side of the ball. And it’s coming from someone who didn’t even hear his name called on Draft Day.

The early days of training camp are always a battle for relevance. But in the chaos of depth chart shifts and practice intensity, one undrafted rookie safety has repeatedly made his case — not with words, but with plays that made even the veterans take notice.

During Saturday's live team drills, a deep route over the middle was perfectly timed — until a hard hit jarred the ball loose. Just two plays later, the very same safety snatched an interception intended for wideout Traeshon Holden, showing both awareness and athleticism that you don’t expect from a rookie without pedigree.

God's work': Two Cowboys UDFAs from Syracuse hoping to realize NFL dream  together | Texarkana Gazette

Originally from Camden, N.J., Alijah Clark started his college career at Rutgers before transferring to Syracuse in 2022, where he started for three seasons. At Syracuse, he tallied 183 total tackles, nine pass breakups, and multiple fumble recoveries — but questions about size and polish kept him from being drafted.

Now, he's rewriting that narrative in Oxnard.

Cowboys coaches have quietly raved about his ball skills and composure in live drills. Even Troy Pride Jr., a seasoned CB fighting for his own spot, turned to celebrate after Clark snagged that interception — a sign of respect among defenders that’s rarely given, especially to a UDFA.

Clark’s journey is far from over, but his stock is undeniably rising. With a strong performance in the Cowboys’ upcoming preseason opener against the Rams, he could turn camp hype into a roster spot — and maybe even more.

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Jerry Jones Speaks Out, Criticizes the Controversy Surrounding the Cowboys WR After the Loss to the Lions
DALLAS — Jerry Jones has finally had enough. In a fiery radio interview on 105.3 The Fan Tuesday morning, the Cowboys owner publicly ripped into star wide receiver George Pickens for his explosive, now-deleted Instagram beef with Richard Sherman following the Thanksgiving nightmare against the Detroit Lions. “I love everything George has done this year,” Jones said. “But let me be very clear — I don’t want to see him sitting on Instagram arguing with Richard Sherman or anybody else. Put the phone down, stop the social media nonsense, and focus on playing football. That’s what we pay him for.” Mic drop. The 82-year-old owner rarely calls out his own players by name in public, making this one of the sharpest rebukes in recent Cowboys history. Quick recap of the chaos: Lions game: CeeDee Lamb gets hurt and leaves early → Pickens disappears with a miserable 5 catches for 37 yards. Richard Sherman goes on TV and says Pickens “quit on routes” and showed zero effort. Pickens claps back with a savage (and quickly deleted) Instagram story: “Old man still talking.” Internet explodes. Despite the ugly performance, Pickens still leads the Cowboys in every major receiving stat (78 receptions, 1,179 yards, 8 TDs), but Jerry Jones just drew a line in the sand: the social media wars end today. “I have zero concern about George competing and helping us win games on the field,” Jones continued. “My only concern is him wasting time and energy on this Instagram back-and-forth instead of turning the page.” Will this public dressing-down light a fire under Pickens… or pour gasoline on an already raging controversy? One thing is certain — every snap this Sunday will be scrutinized like never before. Is Jerry Jones right to go nuclear on his star WR? Or did he just make the drama ten times worse?