Cowboys' Bryant paid $55,000 team dinner tab in his rookie year

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant infamously refused to carry teammate Roy Williams' shoulderpads as a rookie, but Bryant says he still paid his dues.

The Pro Bowl wideout told FOX Sports 1's "Back of the Shop" that he was forced to pick up a very expensive dinner tab in his rookie year.

"The way I look at that is some guys do it just to be [expletive]," Bryant said. "I paid $55,000 for a dinner, and it struck me the wrong way. I could've easily went off on every last one of them, but I didn't. I kept myself together, and I wanted to change that. So you know what I did, went out there and did my thing. Now they're allowing me to call the shots."

The former first-round pick signed a rookie deal for five years and $11.8 million, including $8.6 million guaranteed.

"Everybody’s mind is different," Bryant said. "Everybody’s got a different way of expressing themselves to the game. Like me, I love the game. I don’t even think about the money until it’s time. A lot of guys aren’t like that. All they care about is the check that will keep them moving."

The 25-year-old is in talks with the Cowboys on a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.