FRISCO, Texas -- Ed "Too Tall" Jones was walking through Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in February when he got the word.
"Jason Witten's coming back," somebody told Jones, the former Dallas Cowboys defensive end.
"Oh, thanks," the man known to many as "Too Tall" said. "He's coming back to coach?"
"No," he was told as he strolled through the concourse to baggage claim. "He's coming back as a player."
Jones almost stopped in his tracks.
Witten spent 2018 with ESPN's Monday Night Football. He had his retirement news conference. He was 36 years old and his legacy was secure as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.