FRISCO, Texas — The journey in the football career of Caleb Downs takes another massive step forward when he makes his NFL debut for the Dallas Cowboys, in primetime, against a division rival, as the 11th-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Needless to say, the Lott Award and Jim Thorpe Award winner is no stranger to the big stage or the bright lights that tower above it. A former superstar at Ohio State, Downs is mentally ready for the task at-hand on Sunday, Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium.
That is to say Downs won't let emotions alter his focus.
"I mean, there's always gonna be energy there. It's going to be upbeat for me, either way," he said. "So, really, it's just trying to get into the game, trying to maintain focus and do everything that I need to do to win. So that's pretty much it.
"... [It being my debut] definitely does [mean a lot], but I can't look at it like that. I've got to think of it like it's just another game right now. That's the way I'm going about it."
That level of focus, especially as a rookie, lends to Downs' ability to be a leader on the field and in the locker room, to the degree that future first-ballot Hall of Fame edge rusher Von Miller cast a vote for h...