IRVING, Texas -- If Dat Nguyen ever begins to feel a twinge of pressure about being the starting middle linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, he has no problem quickly putting things into perspective.

While he has overcome long odds and constant critics who said he was too small to play in college much less the NFL, it doesn't compare to what his parents did to bring their family from war-torn Vietnam.

	Dat Nguyen recorded a team-high 18 tackles on special teams as a rookie.

"It's unbelievable what they did. They didn't speak any English and didn't have any money," said Nguyen (pronounced "Win"). "Now, they're living a comfortable life and have five kids with college degrees."

It was April 1975 in the shrimping village of Ben Da when Ho and Tam Nguyen, she four months pregnant with Dat, their sixth child, left their home and everything else behind. They were fleeing the Viet Cong, the army firing countless rounds of bullets.

Through the gunfire, the Nguyens and dozens of others ran to a waiting boat. They then had to survive a 10-day trip through rough seas with just a three-day supply of rice to eat and salty sea water to drink.

After getting to safety in Thailand, the Nguyens had to live in the boat for three more months. They finally went with other Vietnamese refugees to a U.S. Marine base in California and later to a U.S. Army base in Fort Chaffee, Ark., where Dat was born.

"I'm not even supposed to be here, so this is a great opportunity and this is fun," Nguyen said.

Nguyen, who at 5-foot-11, 231 pounds isn't the prototype for a linebacker, became the first Vietnamese-American to play in the NFL last season. Dallas drafted him in the third round following an All-American career at Texas A&M.

"There have always been obstacles for me to go through. They've been there all of my career and I've been proving people wrong," Nguyen said.

Nguyen first excelled in soccer and basketball in the Texas Gulf Coast town of Rockport, where his family settled when he was 2.

It wasn't until he was in high school that he began to stand out on the football field. He had 188 tackles his senior year, earning a scholarship to Texas A&M.

At A&M, Nguyen bulked up and set school records with 51 straight starts and 517 career tackles. As a senior, he won the Lombardi Trophy as the nation's best linebacker.

Despite his still smaller-than-wanted NFL size, the Cowboys couldn't ignore the fact that he kept making play after play.

"He's a strong individual that has a tremendous instinct to play the game. His work ethic is there because he prepares himself," said Cowboys coach Dave Campo, the defensive coordinator Nguyen's rookie year.

"Obviously he didn't have the easiest life growing up and that makes him hungry to succeed. He wants to play the game. I like that kind of mentality in a guy, and he has it."

Campo said Nguyen was drafted to be a starter, an opportunity he is getting for the first time in Sunday's opener against Philadelphia.

Randall Godfrey, whom he played behind last season, is gone after signing a free agent contract with Tennessee. The Cowboys let Godfrey go in part because they believed Nguyen could become the starter.

Nguyen made the most of his playing time as a rookie, with 34 tackles and a team-high 18 tackles on special teams.

"It's a great opportunity to be in the starting lineup. It's not a different approach having the opportunity to start," he said. "I just understand what's going on and I'm trying to get better every day."

His teammates describe him as a happy-go-lucky guy, someone obviously having fun -- even during the rigors of workouts. They also recognize his work ethic, both on and off the field.

"Dat's a great player, very instinctive. He knows how to read and react," said Pro Bowl linebacker Dexter Coakley. "Obviously he's not the biggest guy in the world. But just by being smart, he's making plays out there."

Nguyen now has another goal: allowing his parents, who still own and operate a restaurant and marine supply business in Rockport, to enjoy the fulfillment of their American dream.

"I want them to know they don't have to work, but I can't stop them from working. They enjoy what they do, they can't sit still," said Nguyen, whose $1.2 million contract goes through 2001.

"I want them to be able to wake up and do what they want to do. I just don't want them worrying about paying bills ... and let them have less stress."