Listening to Dallas Cowboys’ head coach Brian Schottenheimer all offseason, we know that he wants to change the culture.
That is a big dream, but he’s not just talking the talk; he’s walking the walk.
We’ve heard about all the “little” things he’s done so far, such as buying everyone in the facility Whataburger and sending champagne to Osa Odighizuwa’s table at dinner after he signed his new contract.
It’s not a facade – it’s real, and players buy into that.
Leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Mike Fisher reported Schottenheimer was “pounding the table” for high-character players as part of his efforts to construct an improved culture at The Star.
Said Schotty on that subject in the days before the draft: “We’re looking for those world‑class competitors – the guys who come in, work hard, and are passionate about what they do. It really is a puzzle you’re trying to fit together, and to me, (physical) traits are just one piece of that puzzle.”
Then we get to the draft, and the players the Cowboys selected have embodied the type of people he wants in the building. He wants leaders, people who thrive on making each person better around them, ones who build relationships with each other and most importantly, love football.
Tyler Booker was a “legendary locker-room leader ” (as Fisher puts it) at Alabama. Donovan Ezeiruaku a leader at Boston College. And it isn’t just the top-end draft picks that Schotty has taken in that mold. Shemar James was a captain at Florida. Seventh-round draft pick Phil Mafah was a team captain at Clemson.
Want more? Per the Star-Telegram, during COVID, Jaydon Blue organized workouts during his high school recruitment. And Shavon Revel Jr. stuck with East Carolina despite six-figure NIL offers to move because of loyalty.
The coach is getting the right type of people in the building. Yes, talent matters, but as we have heard, Schotty and the rest of the coaches and front office, so too does the makeup of the person.
“I’m a pretty chill guy,” Mafah said. “I love doing Legos, love hanging out, learning the piano, really hanging out with family. Love going outdoors in nature and just love people. I’m a people person.”
Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and owner Jerry Jones
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Even in Mafah’s answer right there. A “people person.”
That’s it. That is what Schottenheimer’s building here. A tough, hard, physical competitive football team, but it’s also a family at The Star.
It is well-known that when a player “loves” playing for his coach, maybe he puts in a little more effort, and that three-yard run, turns into a four-yard gain. All of those things matter.
Every yard matters in football, and for Schottenheimer, yes, he values the talent in the building, but that doesn’t overshadow the type of people coming into The Star either.
The Cowboys’ 2025 roster will be filled with tough, gritty players who are leaders and value the person alongside them.
Said the coach: “We’re building a team. We’re not just collecting talent.”
And that, my friends, is a rock-solid foundation on which to begin this “new era” of Cowboys football under Brian Schottenheimer.
