No one -- Deion Sanders or the Dallas Cowboys included -- needs to worry about Dez Bryant, the wide receiver said in a radio interview Wednesday.
Speaking on KESN-FM's "Ben and Skin Show" in Dallas, Bryant addressed Sanders' biting comments about why he no longer mentors the second-year pro.
"All I know is everybody is entitled to their own opinion," Bryant said. "I feel like the Cowboys have nothing to worry about. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. I'm maturing as a man. I'm ready to go out and play football, do what I do best."
Bryant added that he respects Sanders but is ready to move on after their split.
"I congratulate Deion on the great success he had in his career, and I'm very excited about him getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, but my focus is on the Cowboys," Bryant said. "Whatever could be said about this situation, I'm done with it."
Speaking Tuesday on "The Rude Awakening" on WCNN-AM in Atlanta, Sanders made it clear that he still cares about Bryant, but he said he no longer work with the receiver.
"I think the Dallas Cowboys are more concerned than I am," Sanders said via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "I'm not losing any sleep by any means."
Bryant acknowledged he has had to change the way he does some things.
"Of course there were problems (in the past), and there was some stuff I didn't understand that could have been a problem that I understand now," Bryant said. "I feel like I'm mature as a man and I've got my priorities straight."
Sanders, who's also an NFL Network analyst, said Bryant's problems have been exacerbated by his big contract and the crowd that surrounds him. Bryant, 22, had a well-publicized run-in with a Dallas-area mall's security staff this summer, and he also has been sued over unpaid jewelry bills.
"It's hard to talk to a person when they have millions, man, because there is so much noise in their life," Sanders said. "Everybody around them is employed, and they have 'yes men.' You gotta start hiring a 'no man.' Somebody who is going to tell you no and somebody who is going to tell you the truth, and a lot of these guys don't, and when it comes to him with a lot of things, I had to cut my umbilical cord with him because a lot of things people do not know about."
Bryant said that while he hasn't been officially cleared to return to football activities, his training has yielded plenty of results.
"I feel like I'm in way better shape than I was last year," Bryant said. "I'm 10 pounds lighter. I feel like I can move a little quicker."
"I feel me and Romo's relationship is (going) real well. I feel like we bonded with the time we had without the coaches," Bryant said. "Tony's done a good job with us, and we're looking forward to the season."
