Dez Bryant has a lengthy list of injuries he's played through during his eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

Some of the most notable include a fractured left index finger in 2012 and various foot, ankle and knee issues over the last three seasons. When possible, he has continued to play, delaying surgery until after the season.

The Cowboys wide receiver isn't sure outsiders realize how much those injuries have impacted his play.

"I've been grinding," Bryant said during a Friday interview with 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin Show [KRLD-FM]. "I've been on that field hurt. I got scars. I got bruises on me just because how much I love the game and how much I want to see the Dallas Cowboys win. I want these people to understand that.

"From Mondays to Sundays it's a real grind. On Mondays, there's times where you feel like you can't even play on Sundays. That's real. You got to get your mind right. You got to get that body right to go out here and do that. I feel like a lot of these fans forget that. It's real out here. Ain't nothing phony out here."

What advice would Bryant give a young NFL player about playing through injuries?

"I'd tell them to get their body right," Bryant said. "I would tell them that that's a mistake that I made. I'd tell them to get their body right. Keep it healthy, that should be the No. 1 goal.

"Sometimes you got to make those sacrifices. It's hard. You want to be out there on that field. You want to make plays. You want to be out there with your teammates. But you can't compromise your body. That's what I'd tell them."