Citing a crowded work schedule, Charlie Waters said Wednesday he won't return to the Cowboys' radio booth for a second season.
Waters said he learned he could not devote the necessary time to prepare for his weekly game-analyst duties. He works full time in the energy delivery business with former Cowboys teammate and longtime friend Cliff Harris.
"I was a one-year wonder, huh," said Waters, a fan favorite as a Cowboys defensive back before retiring in 1981. "I thought I was improving every week I was in the booth last season, but I can't commit the time to get to where I want to be."
Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team hopes Waters will stay involved with its broadcasts as part of the pregame or postgame shows on the team's radio network.
"Charlie is family," Dalrymple said. "He belongs here."
Dalrymple said owner Jerry Jones invited Waters to his office for a long discussion during the recent search to replace head coach Bill Parcells. Jones was searching for insight into Wade Phillips, whom Waters worked with on the Denver Broncos' coaching staff in the early 1990s.
"I want to stay involved," Waters said.
Dalrymple said a search for Waters' successor will begin shortly.
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File photo Charlie Waters was a defensive back for the Cowboys for 11 seasons. |
Waters was given a one-year contract in May to replace 10-year veteran Babe Laufenberg alongside play-by-play voice Brad Sham.
Laufenberg, a former Cowboys quarterback and sports anchor at KTVT (Channel 11), also cited his workload and retired to spend more time with his family.
Sham and Laufenberg were considered to be among the NFL's premier local radio teams. Laufenberg said he would consider returning if he could reduce his workload at Channel 11.
"If I could work out something with the station, I'd be interested," Laufenberg said. "But I can't return to a seven-day work week as it was for 10 years."
