OXNARD, Calif. -- Training camp is the time coaches tell players to "do everything you can to make the team." The Cowboys' Jameill Showers is certainly taking that advice: undrafted out of UTEP, he's taking reps at both quarterback and on special teams.
Showers is the rare -- but not unheard of -- quarterback who sees time at other positions. Brad Smith was a gadget wide receiver, special teamer and occasional quarterback during a nine-year career with the Jets, Bills and Eagles. Jim Jensen played 12 seasons with the Dolphins, mainly as a receiver but also as a ten-game starter at quarterback. Numerous professional players have made the transition from college quarterback to NFL something else.
What makes Showers' situation a bit different, though, is that he's not really transitioning. He's been taking a share of third-string quarterback reps during the team's early practices in Oxnard and is fighting for that spot -- if the Cowboys fill it instead of breaking camp camp with only two signal callers -- against incumbent Dustin Vaughn. But unlike Vaughn, or Cowboys starter Tony Romo and last year's backup Brandon Weeden, Showers has also been running with the special teamers.
"I haven't done any of that since like seventh grade," Showers admitted Tuesday of his special teams play. He added that the two playbooks -- one for offense, one for special teams -- have made for long nights.
Head coach Jason Garrett said the staff was impressed with Showers' football IQ as well as his athleticism, which led the coaches to put more on his plate.
"Typically you don't ask a quarterback to go do some of the things we've asked him to do, but he's a really athletic guy and he doesn't look like he's out of place at all in some of the special teams stuff that we're asking him to do, and I think he's grown as a quarterback as well," Garrett said. "We're trying to give everybody an opportunity to show who they are and what they can do for our football team, and I think he's certainly trying to take advantage of it."
The dual roles might be an asset for Showers, who faces a difficult depth-chart battle at quarterback. Showers was 1-for-2 for four yards in 7-on-7s on Tuesday and did not take a snap in the two-minute drill reps that ended practice. Vaughn did most of the work with the third team.
"They say I'm doing a good job," Showers said. "(They say) I look comfortable on special teams. Anything I can do to just make this team, I'm doing it."
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