Most Texans know Jay Novacek as a member of the legendary 1990s Dallas Cowboys lineup that saw him rack up three Super Bowl wins and five Pro Bowl appearances.

    However, even in the height of his football glory Novacek was focused on the great outdoors.

    “Football was obviously the priority but I was a fisherman and a hunter before I ever played football and even if I had never made a career out of football I would have still been an outdoorsman. At the time I was always looking for opportunities to get into the field,” Novacek said.

    “Since then I have been involved in several business ventures and always make as much time for hunting and fishing. One reason I never went into coaching is the football season coincides with hunting season,” he added.

    Last weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time on the water with Novacek on Lake Fork, Texas’ big bass capital and found out he was down to earth, passionate about the outdoors and wildlife conservation.

    “The Lord gave us dominion over the earth and he wanted us to take good care of it. Lake Fork is a prime example of man doing something amazing with what God initially created. The kind of conservation ethic you see on this lake does not happen everywhere and you have a real world-class fishery. It’s pretty amazing,” Novacek said.

    The former Cowboy has went on outdoors adventures all over the world but said his favorite memories are times spent with friends and family on old hunting grounds in his home state of Nebraska.

    “Those were really special times and no matter where I go or what amazing thing I get to experience those times will probably always be something I look back on very fondly,” he said.

    The trip was put together by the World Fishing Network and involved contest winners from around Texas who got to spend a morning fishing with Novacek.

    To show what kind of person Novacek is, one of the contest winners got a backlash and he put his rod down and worked to untangle the mess. It seemed perfectly natural for him to do but blew away those on the boat.

    That is not the kind of behavior most would expect out of a celebrity.

    Novacek said one of his next projects is introducing his young daughter to the great outdoors.

    “She is already showing an interest and I look forward to spending time with her in the field. An interest in the outdoors was an important part of my growing up and it is something that has a positive impact on millions around the country. I’m just blessed to get to spend a lot of time in it and see its beauty and wonder.”