If you look at the amount of money Dez Bryant was able to get in his new contract, the numbers are admittedly a bit eye popping at first. But if you look at where Bryant has come as both a player and a person, and you look at the impact he has on the field week in and week out, you quickly realize that he is worth every dollar the Dallas Cowboys had to spend to keep him around.

He was considered by most scouts to be the best receiver in the 2010 NFL Draft, but because of his suspension in college due to his lying about having dinner with Deion Sanders (still seems silly doesn’t it) and some questions that were floating around about his character, he fell to the Cowboys with the 24th pick in the first round. It was still considered to be a risky pick at the time given the fact that he had a few minor run-ins with the law at a local mall his rookie year and he then followed that up with an assault charge involving his own mother in 2012, it looked as though the Cowboys may have missed on what they considered to be a steal at the time.

But thanks to the team’s tremendous counseling program and some of the old Hall of Famers like Michael Irvin reaching out to him, the light bulb finally came on for Bryant. He is now a father of three who realizes that his off-the-field actions can directly affect his longevity in the league and also the amount of money he can earn through both endorsements and the Cowboys. He now has his focus squarely on football and on being a leader for his team.

Bryant sets the tone on the practice field by going all-out on every play and letting his teammates know that the amount of effort and energy they bring in practice translates to the field on game days. And no matter what is happening throughout the game, he’s always encouraging his teammates and helping them keep their focus on the task at hand, and it’s because of this that he has become the team’s emotional leader.

But Bryant didn’t get a $70 million contract because he is such a good cheerleader; he finally got his long-term security because he has become one of, if not the best, receivers in the game. In the past three years, he has caught at least 88 balls for a minimum of 1,200 yards, and he has also racked up a total of 41 touchdowns through the air. Teams must know where he is on the field at all times and it’s because of this that running lanes are bigger for the running backs and receivers like Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley and Jason Witten. He is unstoppable in the red zone and has the physical skills that are necessary to make any play that you ask of him.

If he continues to keep his head on straight, you may be looking at a player who will go down as one the game’s all-time greats!