Cowboys' first rookie minicamp media practice summarized in one exciting word

Brian Schottenheimer continues to win people over as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

While he wasn't the popular choice, he's shown what attracted the front office to him during the interview process. Schottenheimer is passionate about the game of football and comes off as genuinely sincere. Most importantly, he has a vision for his football team and is putting it into practice.

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That was evident during the 2025 NFL draft when they loaded up on prospects with great character. Schottenheimer even praised the class for the way they've interacted with him during their rookie minicamp.

Dallas Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer coaches during warm-ups before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Now, the media has been allowed to see Schottenheimer and those rookies interact during Saturday's practice.

During that first practice open to the media, Nick Harris said one word continued to come up: energy.

First #Cowboys media practice availability in the Brian Schottenheimer era, and one word continues to come up: energy.

“The coaches have so much energy on this staff,” rookie RB Phil Mafah said. “It allows the players to be themselves…We just feed off each other.”

Music played… pic.twitter.com/G3fzqu66LH
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) May 3, 2025

The best part about this quote is that the entire staff displayed this enthusiastic energy. It was evident the players were feeling as well, with linebacker Shemar James leveling an assistant coach during pad drills. The coach was so thrilled with his effort that the entire staff celebrated.

Dallas Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer during training camp at the River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California. | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Seventh-round pick Phil Mafah said that type of approach allows the players to feed off the coaching staff.

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“The coaches have so much energy on this staff,” rookie RB Phil Mafah said via Nick Harris. “It allows the players to be themselves…We just feed off each other.”

There's still a lot of ground to cover before the regular season begins, and we haven't seen much of Coach Schotty with the full team. Still, the early returns are promising.

Let's just hope this energy carries on throughout the year.

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