[an error occurred while processing this directive]

50/31/997

Johnston to remain a Cowboy for five years - and $7.575 million

By JAIME ARON AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Dallas Cowboys fans can continue their "Moooose" calls for the next five years after fullback Daryl Johnston signed a $7.575 million contract Wednesday, fulfilling the team's top offseason priority.

By locking up the two-time Pro Bowler, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pacified quarterback Troy Aikman and running Emmitt Smith, both of whom made public pleas for Johnston to be re-signed no matter the price.

"I can't think of anyone in the league I'd want to have blocking for me other than Daryl Johnston," said Smith, who has won three Super Bowls and four NFL rushing titles by running behind Johnston.

"To not have him in front of me would be uncomfortable. When he moved to tight end and I had someone else blocking for me last year, it was very uncomfortable. ... This is a great stepping stone for us."

Johnston, considered one of the best blocking backs in the NFL, becomes the league's second-highest paid fullback behind Arizona's Larry Centers, who last week signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal.

Besides blocking, Johnston is considered one of the good guys on team whose image often takes a beating.

"He means too much to the heritage of the experiences we've had the last few years, to our future, to his teammates and to the community," Jones said.

Johnston said he's committed to the team because he considers the problems of the last year isolated incidents.

"I know it's not going to happen again," he said. "I've seen the look of the people involved. I really think everyone realizes the effect it had on us."

As much as Johnston wanted to remain a Cowboy, he had many sleepless nights over the last six weeks wondering if he'd be forced to leave. Among his suitors was Arizona, which would have wanted him if it lost Centers.

Jones and Johnston's agent Leigh Steinberg finally got serious about a deal late last week while both were in Florida for the NFL's winter meetings. They began hammering away Friday and were done by late Tuesday.

Once again, Jones and Steinberg came up with a creative way of fitting a high-dollar deal into small salary cap space.

Johnston took an incredibly low first-year salary of $200,000, but augmented it with a $2 million signing bonus. His salaries will then go up to $500,000, $1.25 million, $1.625 million and $2 million.

Johnston could make another $300,000 with very reachable incentives in the second, fourth and fifth years.

"It was just a matter of Jerry Jones being focused," Steinberg said.

Johnston said he expects to play all five years.

Although he just turned 31 and he plays a bruising position - coach Barry Switzer referred to him as a guard lined up eight yards deep - the eight-year veteran keeps himself in rock-solid shape.

"I feel I've been getting better as my career has progressed," Johnston said. "There's things I feel I can continue to do. If I continue to work the way I have and continue to have the luck I've had (avoiding injuries) I think there's a good possibility I can finish out all five years.

"But I'm not going to sit here and tell you I can. I've seen too many other players who've been forced out of the game because of injuries. That's going to be the only way I'm going to go out."

Because Johnston's main priority and top value come from his blocking, his statistics are somewhat meager. For his career, he's run 222 times for 733 yards and eight touchdowns and had 257 receptions for 1,997 yards and 12 TDs.

But Johnston - who draws "Moooose" calls even in opposing stadiums - has been a vital member of the Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons.

His unselfish attitude and disregard for statistics even helped create the fullback position in the Pro Bowl. Jones convinced the competition committee to turn one of the two running back spots into a slot for a fullback - and Johnston got the first two, in 1993 and 1994.

"You can't find a fullback willing to do the things he does and who is mentally tough enough to do them," Switzer said. "Hopefully one day he'll be recognized as the best to have ever done this."