Dallas Cowboys safety George Teague, (31), carries an American flag onto the playing field at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2001 before kickoff with the San Diego Chargers. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)
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FRISCO — Former Cowboys safety George Teague didn’t do it to be remembered. And yet, his spur-of-the-moment decision on Sept. 23, 2001, accomplished that exact feat.
“I have just as many conversations about that as I do with hitting Terrell Owens,” Teague said. “If not more.”
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The 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 — the deadliest attack on American soil in the country’s history — sparked a lot of memories for people on Friday. For Cowboys fans, it’s natural for them to remember Teague running out with the American flag for the team’s first game after the attacks. It was an iconic moment, seeing a member of America’s Team running out with the American flag.
Dallas Cowboys safety George Teague carries a US flag as he is introduced prior to the Cowboys game against the San Diego Chargers at Texas Stadium in Irving, TX, September 23, 2001.
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Teague, now the head football coach and athletic director at John Paul II in Plano, came from a military family and grew up on military bases. That’s why he decided to grab the American flag from someone else in the pregame tunnel and run with it.
“I felt the pride in the sense of, ‘Hey, I know what our country stands for,’” Teague told The Dallas Morning News. “This flag means something different for me, probably more than whoever was going to run out there.”
Teague didn’t think much of the moment other than the pride he felt at the time. It was moments before the Cowboys faced the Chargers, after all. He later realized how much the moment resonated with people when he saw photos circulating. Teague keeps a photo collage of the moment in his office. It’s behind his chair, and often on his mind.
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Teague said the 25th anniversary sparked a lot of emotions about the terrorist attacks and conversations about it. He said he talked with one person at the high school on Friday who broke into tears thinking about the terrorist attacks.
“You just talk about where we were, how it felt, how the country was unified, how people were really drew to each other, and you kind of miss that,” Teague said. “You hate that it was caused by tragedy, but it’s a very solemn reminder that there are a whole lot more things important in life and we take things for granted sometimes.”
Teague also talked with his team about the anniversary before they take on Bishop Lynch on Friday night. Even though his players weren’t born during Sept. 11, there are lessons they can learn from it.
“Football, we’re always talking about how it is life and how so many instances that happen in a game relate to work, jobs and other things. So when you talk about the attacks of 9-11, these guys are young, but our message is still about service and sacrifice,” Teague said. “A lot of the terms you use in football, as well. It’s about community. So maybe [they] weren’t born or didn’t experience it, but there’s this whole big piece of team and unity and country and community when we’re talking about this.”
Teague said John Paul II plans to honor the 25th anniversary on Friday with a tribute reminiscent of the NFL’s “Salute to Service” initiative. They bought hats and shirts for their staff members. They’ll also have a big American flag during pregame to go along with the National Anthem and a prayer.
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Teague said they had to get volunteers to hold the flag. He didn’t have to look far for one. His son, James Teague, was one of them. On a day that’s been emotional, seeing his son volunteer to hold the flag — akin to what Teague did 25 years ago — was touching for him.
Teague we’ll remember that, just like people remember him for his iconic moment a quarter century ago.