Brett's Cowboys Corner

The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up their offseason programs last week and will now look forward to their yearly trip to Oxnard, California for training camp.

When Brian Schottenheimer was hired in January, he mentioned the goal of creating the greatest culture in pro sports. Reporters breezed by that statement for the fact that every coach in the NFL says they want a great culture, especially when they are just hired.

But once mini-camps began, signs of a locker room shift started to show.

The first sign that members of the media noticed was the music playing during practice, which wouldn’t happen under the previous regime.

Compete Every Day

The season mantra for the Schottenheimer’s first year. But you can’t just say it, you need to show it. The addition to the locker room is a new ping pong table, players even hold tournaments against one another.

Recalling a specific moment of the whole locker room screaming and cheering for the championship match of Micah Parsons vs. rookie Jay Toia.

During a press conference, coach mentioned “anywhere and everywhere” for competition. Backing this by installing a basketball hoop and a mini hoop around the facility. Free throw challenges and putting challenges around the building.

Coach Schottenheimer highlights relationship building as well, which can be done outside of the Star. He will frequently take different position groups out to dinner, connecting with the guys and rarely talking about football.

“I can’t tell you exactly where we’ll be. I do always pay. So that’s cool. We do change the menu up a little bit. We try to get four or five or six guys together and just go talk about life,” Schottenheimer told the media.

Showing that you care can go a long way. Schottenheimer will attend charity events hosted by players regularly. A noteworthy one being Micah Parson’s “Pins for Purpose” event, which Parsons noted that to show his gratitude to Schottenheimer, Parsons attended the voluntary mini-camps.

As the interpersonal relationships grow, we see great moments between Coach Schottenheimer and some of the star players like Micah and Ceedee. Two viral clips that surfaced over the past months, the first being from the Cowboys official schedule release at the Dallas Cowboys Golf Club.

And a more behind-the-scenes clip. A viral TikTok trend where guys call their friends randomly to wish them a goodnight, Micah uploaded this trend to his page and gave Coach Schotty a call.

Locker room interviews this time of year can be a bit dry, and sometimes players being hopeful for new roles can make an interesting story to kill time. But when KaVontae Turpin talked to the media, he seemed full of trust in Schottenheimer for his 2025 usage.

With a quote to highlight how everyone is receiving Schottenheimer so far.

“Everybody’s loving what Schottenheimer is doing. I just feel like we’re gonna take the pressure and roll with it, and deal with it. Everybody’s excited and everybody wants to be here.”

Can You Win With Culture?

There is a lot that goes into the success of an NFL team. You need points, you need better players and you need a better scheme every Sunday. But surely a great culture can help?

A great case study is the Detroit Lions. When they hired Dan Campbell as a first year head coach, no experience calling plays…he was mocked by the media.

Everyone remembers his awkward opening presser, but then he goes on a rant about biting off kneecaps and realized something was different, sure everyone assumed he was a psycho at first.

But it started to work, he goes on hard knocks and delivers incredible speeches.

And what happens, the Lions are a top NFC team, playing in the championship and winning back to back division titles.

But lets not act like Campbell turned an average team to a great one. The Lions were a laughing stock of the NFL, routinely mocked by the media as were the Browns and Jets. Finishing 4th in the NFC North four straight years.

In the late 2000’s they were even worse…including an infamous 0-16 season.

Even with guys like Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford, they could never get to the point they are today.

Will Schottenheimer Be the Difference?

As he lays a strong foundation with his culture, it will be tested quickly with a tough 2025 schedule. My prediction to see the strength of his culture will be week 4, a home game against the dreaded Green Bay Packers. Who embarrassed you last time they were in AT&T Stadium, a tough opponent and a game many Cowboys want a chance to have back.

The next time we will see this culture in action will be July 20th, as the team arrives in California for training camp.

Hoping to stack off a strong end to mandatory camps, where Schottenheimer saw perfect attendance from his guys, something that is a lot more difficult in today’s age.