Zendejas Tells NFL Eagles’ Players Admitted Bounties

Luis Zendejas has told an NFL official the names of “four or five” Philadelphia Eagles who he said told him that Coach Buddy Ryan had placed bounties on certain Dallas Cowboys players before Thursday’s game.

Dallas running back Junior Tautalatasi said he also spoke to NFL security about allegations that the Eagles had placed bounties on other players during his years with the team, from 1986 to 1988, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported today.

In addition, league officials spoke with Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson and punter Mike Saxon.

Zendejas, cut earlier this month by the Eagles and signed by Dallas, said he told Warren Welch of NFL security Monday that the Philadelphia players either warned him before the game or admitted to him after the game that players were to be rewarded for knocking certain Dallas Cowboy players out of the contest.

The Eagles won the Thanksgiving Day game, 27-0.

“I gave him the information,” Zendejas said. “I told him all the things about the whole thing. He says he’s going to question them.”

Zendejas, who said quarterback Troy Aikman and Saxon also were targeted with bounties, would not disclose the names of the Eagles given to the NFL.

Zendejas said he hoped the Eagles who talked to him would go public, but said the players had expressed to him a fear of reprisals from Ryan.

“I just pretty much have to go on the hope that (an Eagles player) will stand up and say what he believes,” Zendejas said. “Buddy’s job is on the line, and he didn’t do a very good job of keeping this quiet because he trusted it to a rookie (linebacker Jessie Small). Someone will spill their guts. They all said after the game they wouldn’t come after me and that they were my friends.

“Well, if they are my friends, somebody will stand up and say the truth.”

Small has denied that he carried out a bounty on Zendejas.

Ryan, whose Eagles meet the Cowboys again Dec. 10, has dismissed the bounty-hunting claims as “ridiculous.”