Jesse Holley wins “4th and Long,” 80th spot on Cowboys’ training camp roster

by Erin Rice

Jesse Holley will report for training camp in San Antonio on July 31 along with the 79 other Dallas Cowboys, which is when the real competition begins.

In tonight's season finale of "4th and Long," the winner was chosen from four remaining contestants: wide receivers Jesse Holley and Andrew Hawkins and defensive backs Eddie Moten and Ahmaad Smith.

A slew of Cowboy landmarks made their way into this final episode. In addition to their usual homestead, the Cotton Bowl, the contestants got a chance to train at Valley Ranch. Taking a tour of the franchise's history (my goodness, did we get an earful about the history), their final training drill was the same as one of their first, "Jam the Gunner." This drill is a special teams drill, which the coaches have said time and time again is the most likely way one of these players will see any possible action for the Cowboys.

The next day they played a full football game in which the wide receivers were both on one team and the defensive backs on the other. When the players walked out on the field they found their family members in the stands. Eddie Moten's mother commented at one point that he was acting very "nervous," which would continue during the game. After the action, despite defeating the wide receivers, it was a defensive back, Moten, who was cut.

From there the last three made their way to the new Cowboys Stadium, where they met Jerry Jones and would eventually learn the show's winner. As one can imagine, the final discussion between Irvin, Avezzano, and Bates was played to keep us guessing, and a final comment by "Coach Joe," in which he said that Hawkins was the most likely to succeed in the much needed special teams position, led one to believe that maybe they would go with the guy whose height has kept him out of the NFL.

But it was not to be for Hawkins. Changing his cut line up a bit, Irvin said in the Cowboys Stadium stands, with both coaches and Jones present, "Jesse Holley, the Cowboys can use you." Holding his composure, which he admitted later was out of respect for Hawkins and Smith, Holley received his Cowboys' jersey, number 16, and was whisked away by Jones to be shown around.