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Cowboys Players Rally Around Brian Schottenheimer's 'Brotherhood Energy'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 10:52 AM ET

It might only be early in the Brian Schottenheimer era for the Dallas Cowboys, but his presence is already being felt across the board.

With a family-oriented approach to his players, he brings a "different vibe" and energy to practice, which is something that the locker room and even past players love.

"I think it's huge for the success of this football team," Tyler Smith said of Schottenheimer's approach. "Establishing the culture early and getting everybody on board is ultimately our goal. Schotty talks about it every day, but we're gonna compete everyday.

"The ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl."

That's the view from a player who is a Pro Bowler at the very top of the depth chart.

What's it look like from a lower rung?

“It's every single day when you come into the building,” running back Deuce Vaughn said of Schottenheimer's energy. “All the coaches as well, it really energizes us. It makes us really excited to come into the building every single day and put in the work. It really feels good whenever you're able to go out to practice and you're jumping around, listen to music, you're with your guys, and it's really the brotherhood we're trying to build.”

Hmm, that word. Brotherhood.

We had heard about that over the past couple of seasons, but with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence's social media blowup, it appeared to be all a facade.

Maybe now, it isn't.

Said team leader Dak Prescott, who speaks on "brotherhood'' more than anybody around here: "(Schottenheimer) is doing a hell of a job'' building a new culture in Dallas.

Schottenheimer is doing all the right things to get his players pulling in the same direction. Yes, it is June, but this can't be denied now. The locker room appears bonded, with no one wanting to be "the" player who lets the team down.

That's powerful.

Too many have spoken glowingly of what Schotty is building both on and off the field to deny what is transpiring. His first crack at a head coaching role has gotten off to a solid start.

Now, we aren't proclaiming him to be anything yet, but he's got a vision for how he wants his team to act and play.

And he's making sure they are all on the same page, with energy and vibes the key to everything the Cowboys will do under Schottenheimer's watch.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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