Cowboys' Bryant has injury added to insult

IRVING, Texas, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant, who got dinged for a nearly $55,000 dinner bill by his teammates, also is nursing sore ribs, the team says.

The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday Bryant is playing with a stress fracture in his ribs suffered in the season-opener against Washington. He has played in both subsequent games despite the injury, getting an anti-inflammatory injection and wearing extra protection around his ribs.

The Morning News said a high-tech scan of his ribs revealed the stress fracture is not serious enough to linger the entire season.

Bryant also had the financial hurt put on him by teammate Roy Williams. Bryant had refused the rookie tradition of carrying his teammate's shoulder pads in training camp but agreed to pay for dinner.

Williams, a fellow wide receiver, got the rookie good by bringing along the entire offensive squad to Monday night's dinner at Pappas Bros. The bill: $54,896.

"They got the young fella," said Bryant's adviser David Wells. "What could he say? He had to pay it unless he wanted to wash dishes for a month."

But Bryant, who has 14 catches for 158 yards and has returned five punts for a 17.8-yard average in three games, can afford it. He signed a contract worth $8.3 million guaranteed.