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Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Dat Nguyen
Each week, Dat is called upon to hit with the force of a mac truck, charging in to plug gaps in the line. Then perhaps with just the next play, he'll need the quickness and speed of a sprinter to move left or right against sweeps or to run blitzes on the quarterback. The tough guy seems rare among Asian American athletes. According to Dat, when you "think football", no Asian has succeeded at this level. The general public's impression of Asian American athletes is most likely to be of tennis players or golfers, maybe Michael Chang or Tiger Woods. Dat's success in this sport is "kind of weird", he says. But that success is not something Dat's let go to his head. In fact, Dat may have zeroed in on the key to real success. He says you've got to "see the big picture." In other words, you're never going to hear Dat join the legion of athletes that brag "without me, they can do nothing". "I never take anything for granted," says Dat. "I never take anything for myself. It's a team sport. I'm out there, doing what I do best, with support from my teammates and my coach." Moving through a life story that, day by day and year by year, reads more and more like a Hollywood screenplay, Dat's positive attitude and dedication to hard work have served him well. Dat's family escaped to the United States from Vietnam. Dat was born not long after in an Arkansas refugee camp. It's widely reported that as a teen, Dat fell in for a brief time with the "wrong crowd". Dat himself thinks the press "overdid that" angle. "I got out of it immediately," he says. His dedication to football, in fact, helped Dat mature. He played for all-state teams in high school and was named the All-South Texas Defensive Player of the Year. He became something of a role model for teens in his hometown community of Rockport, Texas, and now, nationwide, particularly aspiring athletes of Asian descent. Dat's success in football led him through four great years with Texas A&M, and a string of impressive awards including the 1998 Lombardi Award for the nation's top interior lineman and the 1998 Bednarik Award for the nation's top defensive player. He was also a member of Aggies Athletes Involved. Dat is humble about his accomplishments, and, once again, places them in the context a broader spectrum. "I enjoy the game. I love the game. I want to be the best when I play. But it's not just how fast you run, or how much you lift (in the weight room). It takes lots of knowledge and preparation to be successful. Also, hard work and discipline. Little stuff here and there that people take for granted." "What I enjoy most, I think, is the people, the guys that I play with. It is not an individual game. It's a team sport. The people you meet, the ones you get to meet. I spend 20 to 24 hours a day with these guys. You are out there, you have one goal-- to win the game. It's a great challenge for a group of guys. Nothing more enjoyable than when you get the victory." Yet Dat foresees that time some day in the future when football will be behind him. "I'm not going to play when I'm 40 years old," Dat concedes. Already graduated with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural development, Dat plans on continuing courses or going back to graduate school after football. He might also help out with his fathers business, a marine shop in Texas. Whatever he does, Dat recognizes there's lots of opportunity out there. Which leads to his advice for the young people that may see him as a role model-- "Never listen to anybody that says that you can't do it. Whatever you dream of doing, whatever you want to accomplish, just reach for it, and go for it. Never let anyone say that you can't do it! Because the door is wide open. Don't let anybody say you can't do it and stop you from doing it." And unstoppable linebacker that he is, Dat charges in and onward, ensuring a life that is whole and rewarding. -CC/SK Send fan mail to Dat Nguyen's bulletin board at AsianConnections.com Dat was interviewed by AC team led by Cherie Campbell
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