Worst Mentor Ever

Deion Sanders: Dez Bryant needs help
By Tim MacMahon/ESPNDallas.com

Deion Sanders, who stopped mentoring Dez Bryant months ago, strongly criticized the Dallas Cowboys receiver in reaction to the criminal trespass warning given to Bryant over the weekend at a Dallas mall.

"I'm upset but not surprised whatsoever," Sanders said on The Ben & Skin Show on ESPN 103.3 FM in Dallas.

Sanders described Bryant's behavior at NorthPark Center on Saturday as "ignorant."

The 2010 first-round pick was issued the warning after an off-duty police officer requested that Bryant and his friends pull up their pants because their underwear was showing and Bryant responded with repeated profanity, according to the police report.

Bryant, who was stung by Sanders' comments, is adamant that the only thing he did wrong at the mall is use profanity toward a police officer, whom Bryant claims shoved him into the back as he was escorting him outside.

"I feel like the cop was in the wrong here more than anything," Bryant told ESPNDallas.com on Friday. "Don't just make it seem like I went off and had a hot head for no reason. That's the only thing I did wrong -- I used profanity."

Still Sanders said Bryant has issues stemming from his difficult childhood.

"He needs help. He needs help," Sanders said. "I told the Cowboys from Day One that he needs help. Matter of fact, they have a team in place to help him. But you cannot tell a grown man what to do."

Sanders, who was recently selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and serves as a mentor to many NFL players, said he ended his relationship with Bryant over the summer due to the receiver's dishonesty.

"I wish Deion would come to me as a man and talk to me," Bryant told ESPNDallas.com. "I've been reaching out to Deion. I've never done anything wrong to Deion or disrespected him. I've never lied to Deion."

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You know, I think I'm going to step 100% behind Dez Bryant for the first time. I just better be careful or I'll step on his pants. Seriously though, the guy has been a Cowboy for almost a year and the worst thing he's done is cuss at a cop. Hell, if you give me $3 million salary the first thing I'm doing is cussing out a cop - just to make up for the all the times I wanted to and couldn't. So let your freak flag fly Dez. And the next time Deion tries to call you immature just show his this gem.