Boo-proof? Cowboys legends to flank Roger Goodell to ensure warm draft welcome

Multiple sources confirm that Dallas Cowboys legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, as well is perennial Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, will flank NFL commissioner when he takes the stage Thursday night at the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium.

Goodell has been booed unmercifully at past drafts. And with the controversial suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games last year still fresh in the minds of the local Cowboys populace, the Cowboys decided to give Goodell some company as he walks on stage to hopefully ensure a warm welcome.

"I'm sure he's going to get a good response with us being out there," Staubach said in confirming his boo-proof presence on stage. "If they boo, all of us are in trouble."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has had his own battled with Goodell over the past year regarding Elliott and a fight to block a contract extension, has buried the hatchet with the commissioner. He said earlier in the week that he hopes the crowd at AT&T Stadium gives Goodell a positive reception.

"I don't know of anybody, maybe other than me, that's had more boos than Roger has," Jones said at the pre-draft news conference. "I know about how that works. I do hope we can be positive in our reception. We are going to do something pretty special, and he did have a final say in that."

Jones and Goodell attended the Legacy Project news conference in Arlington together earlier this week.

"I think our crowd is a football, football crowd," Jones said. "There's a bigger, there's a football view and there's a cowboy view so that I'm not so sure you'll see a lot of ... personal preferences or personal opinions about the Commissioner. I would hope -- because I appreciate having this draft here in Dallas, this is a neat deal, I think it's very fitting that we got it -- and so I hope we give him a very positive reception."

"Seriously, we all know it's a convenient place to be," Jones continued while also making it clear the Goodell played a role in the draft being here in the first place. "I don't know of anybody maybe other than me that's had more boos than Roger has. I know about how that works. I do hope we can be positive in our reception. We are going to do something pretty special and he did have a final say in that.

This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Boo-proof? Cowboys legends to flank Roger Goodell to ensure warm draft welcome."