Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Brian Schottenheimer breaks Cowboys tradition for rookie initiation in Oxnard

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 2:08 PM ET

Brian Schottenheimer likes to be a trend-setter and has made an immediate impact on the Dallas Cowboys culture by doing things his own way.

So, it comes as no surprise that Schottenheimer had something new in store for the 2025 NFL draft class as the team said farewell to Oxnard, California.

Before the team returns home to Texas to wrap up training camp, Schottenheimer had the rookies put on a talent show.

Instead of having everyone sing in front of the team like the team has done in the past, Schottenheimer let players flex their own creative muscles and let loose.

During the show, Schottenheimer said he was a target of a lot of the rookies. On Wednesday afternoon, he had predicted he would get roasted throughout the night.

"I was one of the hot topics. They did an incredible job. I’ve probably seen in my career 15-18 rookie shows, and this was one of the best ones," Schottenheimer told the media, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.

Earlier in the offseason, Schottenheimer did some other unconventional activities like taking the team on a paintball trip and even taking the quarterbacks for some traditional Greek dance lessons.

Schottenheimer has done a lot of good things throughout the offseason program, OTAs, minicamp, and training camp to build comaraderie among the players. And the vibes have been paying off so far. Let's just hope it leads to wins in the fall.