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

Brian Schottenheimer's expectations for first camp as head coach summed up in 2 words

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 12:34 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys landed in Oxnard, California, for the start of training camp ahead of the 2025 NFL season. On Tuesday, July 22, they take the next step in the offseason program with the first practice of camp, which will be open to the public.

For Brian Schottenheimer, it's been a long time coming as he leads a training camp as a head coach for the first time in his career. And he's ready to show he was built for this.

Schottenheimer spoke to the media on Monday afternoon during the team's State of the Union press conference, where he revealed what his approach will be.

Coach Schotty knows what it will take for his players to get on the right track and his expectations can be summed up in just two words: "Very physical."

"We want to have a very physical training camp," Schottenheimer told reporters. "There’s limitations to what you can do, but we want to come out of this thing knowing the emphasis of winning the line of scrimmage. That’s really important to us, both offensively and defensively. Maximize our padded practices.

"Obviously we got the work coming up against the Rams in a couple of weeks. That’s the big emphasis right now.”

This falls in line with everything Schottenheimer has done throughout the team's offseason program. Schottenheimer has emphasized creating a competitive atmosphere, and that should carry over to training camp.

Add in the intensity of fighting for roster spots and putting on full pads, and Schottenheimer should get exactly what he wants with the fresh sounds of pads cracking in the summer California air.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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