Cowboys' defender is shining despite continued storm
Kelvin Joseph showed some promising signs as a rookie for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, but his offseason had a dark cloud over it. Joseph was a person of interest in a March shooting in Dallas that resulted in the death of 20-year-old Cameron Ray, but he is no longer a suspect. Joseph hasn't spoken […]
Kelvin Joseph showed some promising signs as a rookie for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, but his offseason had a dark cloud over it. Joseph was a person of interest in a March shooting in Dallas that resulted in the death of 20-year-old Cameron Ray, but he is no longer a suspect.
Joseph hasn't spoken about the incident at all, that was until Friday, but it has continued to be an elephant in the room. When it was brought up, Joseph didn't waste any time shutting down any chatter about that troubling situation.
“My team is handling the situation," said Joseph. "I’m not going to address anything on that topic today.”
Ray and his friends got into an altercation with another group of men that included Joseph. While walking to their vehicle, shots rang out from an SUV that Joseph was a passenger in, but two other men were charged in the incident.
Despite Joseph's innocence in this particular situation, it has painted an ugly picture when comes to his image. However, Joseph was adamant about that not being who he is as a person.
“I’m a child of God,” Joseph said. “I’m a son. I’m a father to a son. I’m a leader. I’m a learner. And most …of all, I’m a smart kid, and I’m not a troublemaker or somebody who is just going to cause problems or do anything like that. I’m happy to be a pro, and I’m going to continue to treat myself as a pro and move as a pro.
“And I appreciate the Dallas Cowboys for taking a chance on me.”
Joseph didn't get to showcase his ability as a corner until in 2021 until around midseason because of a groin injury. After just 14 defensive snaps in his first five games, Joseph logged 150 with two starts in his last three.
Joseph made them all count, but two games, in particular, stood out. He had three tackles and a pass breakup while yielding minus two yards on five targets against the Washington Commanders in Week 16. Two weeks later, he tallied nine tackles versus the Philadelphia Eagles, and almost snagged an interception.
The 2022 season has seen Joseph adjust in the way he contributes. With the cornerback room being a bit crowded, especially with the addition of rookie DaRon Bland, Joseph has been excellent as a special teams ace, leading the team with five tackles covering kicks.
Veteran C.J. Goodwin has led the charge when it comes to the Cowboys' special teams unit for five seasons. Joseph has been a godsend for Goodwin seeing teams also have to account for him as well, which he spoke about recently.
“I’m thankful to have that guy out there,” Goodwin said. “It takes a lot of pressure off me as well, having another dude who can do just as well as me out there. I’m glad he’s taking to it. …He calls me, ‘Unc,’ so he and I talk all the time. I give him all the tools I have.
“He’s strong. He’s fast. We have pretty much the same skill set, so it’s all about want-to at that point, and he wants to. It’s showing.”
One thing is for sure, Joseph hasn't let outside noise off the field or the challenges on it deter him from being an asset to the Cowboys.
Feature image via Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
