DALLAS _ Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten and Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith shared memories and photographs of Kobe Bryant on Monday.
Witten recalled in an Instagram post that he ran into Bryant in New York in May 2018 after announcing his retirement and plans to join Monday Night Football.
Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter, on Sunday, quizzed Witten on the "intricacies of the Y-Option Route," Witten said.
Witten discussed the route with Bryant for 30 minutes, he said.
"He asks question after question of the technique, the strategy, the mindset of every variation of the route, and how the defense would try and stop it," Witten said. "I told him how I had adopted a mantra of his over the years _ you can't cheat the muse _ as a way to stay disciplined."
Witten said Bryant "set the standard" for everything he did.
"Kobe Bryant knew that the path to success in anything in life is not easy, and not for everyone," he said. "You might be able to slide by a day at practice and get away with it. But the muse would know. The muse always knows. As a father, and as a competitor."
A couple of weeks later, Bryant sent a note to Witten. "I'm excited for the world to learn from you. Be in touch. KB," the note said.
Witten summed up his emotional tribute, which included an image of him at Dodgers Stadium with Bryant, Magic Johnson and DeMarcus Ware.
"I'll never forget you Kobe, what a damn life," he said. "You never cheated the muse, and we are all better off because of your standard of excellence."
Smith posted an image of Bryant wearing his No. 22 jersey with the message: "Still can't get over it. You were a legend in your own right and looked up to by so many," Smith said. "You might be wearing #22 here but it'll be #8 and #24 for us fans forever."
