Dallas Cowboys

Roger Staubach speaks out about Cowboys DE Greg Hardy

Published Nov. 11, 2015 10:15 a.m. ET

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Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach is still a fan of his former team, but there's one player he refuses to root for -- defensive end Greg Hardy.

“I’m rooting for the Cowboys, I don’t root for him,” Staubach told USA Today Sports Tuesday. “I’m still rooting for the Cowboys. I’m not a Hardy fan.”

On Friday, Deadspin published documents from Hardy's alleged assault of ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder that included some very graphic images. Staubach said that these images may motivate others who share his strong opinions on the situation to speak out.

“People, when they see something they react differently, the same with the (Ray) Rice thing,” Staubach said. “We know what he did. I’ve got a wife and four daughters and I’ve got 12 granddaughters. I would go ballistic if anybody touched any of our daughters or granddaughters in a harmful way. I’m not that forgiving for anybody that commits domestic violence. But we are human beings. It just seems like that particular problem, unless you really get a lot of help, you just don’t overcome it. You’ve got to get help. It’s not just, ‘Hey, I did this, it won’t happen again.’ It happens again . . . It’s a worrisome deal when someone hits a woman. Hopefully that someone is getting help to never do it again.”

Staubach cited a sideline incident that occurred with special teams coach Rich Bisaccia -- where Hardy smacked a clipboard out of Bisaccia’s hands during a loss to the Giants -- as something he wouldn’t like.

“It just seems like the incident on the field, knocking the clipboard out of the coach’s hand, you can talk about passion, but you also have to talk about common sense on the field,” Staubach said of Hardy. “He is still a mixed bag as far as if he is really sincere about the past, making sure it never happens again.”

Staubach also spoke with ESPN's Todd Archer about Hardy, and he said to Archer that Hardy's punishment was not harsh enough. In 2014, he was placed on the commissioner’s list for the final 14 games, but he was still paid. The NFL suspended him for the first 10 games of the 2015 regular season, but Hardy appealed that suspension and had it reduced to four games.

"I think he should've had a much stiffer fine and then he should be looked at every day to make sure he's doing what it takes so he doesn't ever commit another domestic violence act again," Staubach said to Archer in a phone interview. ". . . It's a sickness to me, whatever it is that makes you do that. For people to overcome that, hopefully he's doing what it takes. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes."

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