IRVING, Texas » When the Dallas Cowboys started organized team activities and minicamps back in the spring, few figured Mana Silva had much of a chance at making Dallas’ 53-man roster once preseason ended in late August.
After all, the Cowboys had a solid group of experienced safeties, including veteran Brodney Pool, who was signed as a free agent. But Pool was released during preseason and, due to his strong play on special teams, Silva made the 53-man roster. He is now the Cowboys’ No. 2 strong safety.
"That was my goal," said Silva, who had two tackles in Dallas’ win over the New York Giants on Wednesday night. "It was a big accomplishment. I’ve just got to continue to work hard and improve. They didn’t give me a cake or anything. You just go out there and do your job every day, try to make plays and improve."
Silva making the Dallas roster out of camp is the latest example of what has been proven time and time again in the NFL — that often the best way for a young player to catch on is through special teams.
"You’ve got to show up on special teams, especially if you’re undrafted," Silva said. "If you’re undrafted, you’ve got to come from the bottom and show up on the film. It’s all about results and what you can put on film. If your film is not good, they won’t keep you. If you’re doing some good things that they like, then they’ll keep you. Now I’m in some packages on defense. It’s good. I just need to continue to progress."
Making the 53 in Dallas has been a big change for this University of Hawaii product who at this time a year ago was on Baltimore’s practice squad as an undrafted free agent. After the Ravens released him last September, he landed with Buffalo’s practice squad in November, staying with the Bills until the Cowboys signed him last December.
"Life was tough last year. There were times when I wanted to quit and there were times when I wanted to live a normal life. Looking back, it’s all been a blessing," Silva said. "I think it was just my upbringing that kept me going. I never want to quit on anything. I always told myself to work as hard as I can and let everything else happen the way it should happen."
For a guy who didn’t play much on special teams during his time at UH, it’s a role he has clearly embraced. That’s because he realized that the quickest way to catch the eye of NFL coaches is making big plays on kick or punt coverage units, something he has built a reputation for doing during his time in Big D.
"You’ve got about 5 seconds to make a big impact on the game. You’ve got to go out there and run as fast as you can and play as hard as you can for those 4 or 5 seconds. Then you get a break and you do it again," Silva said. "That’s just part of special teams, being ready."
And not only is he seeing a ton of action on special teams, but his strong performance on punt and kickoff coverage has also resulted in seeing more defensive snaps, his ultimate goal as a professional.
"I’ve grown a lot this year and I feel a lot more comfortable playing safety than I was last year. I just continue to improve my game," he said. "I do eventually want to become a starter and do some big things in this league. I’ve just got to continue to work hard and do the things that need to be done to be great."
