DeMarcus Ware still has place in his heart for Dallas Cowboys

Despite wearing orange and navy with a bronco on the side of his helmet, DeMarcus Ware always will consider himself a Cowboy. The Cowboys drafted him 11th overall in 2005, and he spent the first nine years of his career in Dallas.

Ware kept his house in Tarrant County and plans to retire there when he finishes his career.

He also promises to retire a Cowboy.

“That’s where everything started for me,” Ware said in a phone interview. “I was part of the Cowboys’ organization for nine years and put in a lot of sweat and tears there. Jerry Jones is a great owner, and it’s a great organization. Coming back there and maybe being able to be in the Ring of Honor and being able to do some things for the community, it’ll be awesome. It’s home for me and for my kids.”

Ware, though, isn’t planning on quitting anytime soon.

The Cowboys released Ware before the 2014 season, saving them $7.4 million against the cap. The pass rusher was coming off his worst season, making only six sacks in an injury-plagued 2013 campaign.

Denver signed him to three-year, $30 million deal, and Ware has proved the past two years that he wasn’t damaged goods.

“A lot of people probably said, ‘You know what? He’s been dinged up, and he’s been hurt,’ ” Ware said. “I always look at a guy and see how he plays through the hurt. If he still can be consistent through the hurt, imagine if he can get healthy and get ahead of the injury curve, he can bounce back, and I think that’s what I did.”

Ware has provided a perfect complement to former Texas A&M star Von Miller. Ware, 33, made 10 sacks last season, his eighth double-digit sack season, and already has 5.5 this season.

“I am seeing a lot more one-on-one blocks, because when Von comes from the other side, they have to be aware of him,” Ware said. “If it’s third-and-8, you’ve got me and him coming, plus another couple of guys, so you’re able to get the one-on-one matchups to where you can beat guys, or maybe even mismatches where you’re maybe on a tight end or a running back, and you’re able to make plays.”

Ware, reunited with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, plays on the league’s top-rated defense. The Broncos are allowing only 261.1 yards per game. They already have drawn comparisons to some of the league’s best-ever units.

“I played on a lot of great defenses in Dallas,” Ware said. “Here in Denver, it’s a lot different. You have a couple of extra athletes playing on the team, and guys are playing really well and playing consistent. I think this is probably one of the best defenses I’ve played on in my career.”

Ware owns the Cowboys’ team sacks record with 117, and his 132  1/2 career sacks have him within one sack of joining the league’s career top 10. He is within nine sacks of the top five of all time.

Ware appears well on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“There are a lot of great players in the Hall of Fame,” Ware said. “You never sort of look at yourself and think about yourself having that bronzed head. You just keep working hard and keep biting at the bit, and hopefully you’re able to be enshrined in something like that that lives forever.”

Ware was thrilled to see Charles Haley get his due with Haley’s induction into Canton in August.

“Oh, man, that was awesome,” Ware said. “As hard as he fought and how he played, he deserved it. He was just an unbelievable pass-rusher.

“When I first came in, I had some big shoes to fill. There was a lot of pressure. You know how Charles is. I got there, and he said, ‘You’re wearing 94. Now, you’ve got to prove something to me week in and week out.’ He really stayed on me about that.”

Ware seeks the one thing missing from his résumé and his hand — a Super Bowl ring. The Broncos stand as one of four undefeated teams in the NFL.

“You think about all the things players play for, the biggest thing is the Super Bowl,” Ware said. “That’s the pinnacle of what a team is about. Guys coming together at adverse times and getting in the playoffs and now being able to say, ‘Now we’ve made it. We’ve arrived, and we did it. No matter what we went through, this team did something special.’ It would be something really big for me.”

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 4:23 PM with the headline "DeMarcus Ware still has place in his heart for Dallas Cowboys."