Dallas Cowboys

Travis Frederick is an Elf Monk? Cowboys’ All-Pro is avid Dungeons and Dragons gamer

Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick enjoys a hobby that would probably surprise a lot of fans.

The veteran All-Pro told The Ben and Skin Show on KRLD/105.3 The Fan that he has become an avid Dungeons and Dragons player online.

In this July 17, 2019, photo Zayah Abel rolls the dice during a game of Dungeons and Dragons with Norah Wright, bottom right, Sarah Melton, left, and Keith Surman, center, at Castle Perilous in Carbondale in Carbondale, Ill. (Isaac Smith/The Southern Illinoisan via AP)
In this July 17, 2019, photo Zayah Abel rolls the dice during a game of Dungeons and Dragons with Norah Wright, bottom right, Sarah Melton, left, and Keith Surman, center, at Castle Perilous in Carbondale in Carbondale, Ill. (Isaac Smith/The Southern Illinoisan via AP) Isaac Smith AP PHOTO

Frederick’s interest in D&D helped him fill a void while he was battling Guillain-Barre syndrome last year. He missed the entire season while recovering. His interest in the game also helped him reconnect with friends back home in Wisconsin.

“It’s been really good,” he said. “It allowed me to escape the world I was living in and live in this other world for hours at a time.”

Frederick admits “You wouldn’t necessarily think I would do that,” but that’s part of the game’s appeal, he said.

“It’s very different from what I do on a normal basis. It’s a way that I escape,” he said.

Currently, Frederick is role-playing as an Elf Monk and uses no weapons to fight the bad guys, only his bare hands.

Just like on the football field, Frederick said he continues to improve the more he plays.

Most of the players he’s competing with know about his NFL pedigree, but it’s entirely possible there’s a costumed uber nerd out there who has no idea he’s playing an NFL All-Pro in an online fantasy.

“I continue to try to improve each session,” he said. “Maybe the cos play is coming.”

This story was originally published September 9, 2019 at 11:37 AM.

Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Stefan Stevenson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Stefan Stevenson was a sports writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 1997 to 2022. He covered TCU athletics, the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER