Cowboys Coach Reveals How 'Half My Day Is Spent'

But what stood out even more was his emphasis on relationships. Schottenheimer referred to football as a “relationship business,” and revealed that during 30-visit meetings, he doesn’t even talk football with prospects. 

His job? 

Getting to know who they are as people. The same goes for the current roster—he spends half his days in the off season just checking in with players, talking life, not ball.

A reporter on site even mentioned a direct incident involving Schottenheimer and Dallas Cowboys newly extended defensive tackle, Osa Odighizuwa. 

The moment Schottenheimer learned of Osa Odighizuwa’s extension, he picked up the phone to congratulate him personally. Then, quietly and intentionally, he found out where Osa was having dinner with his family—and sent a bottle of champagne to Osa's table as a congratulatory gesture from afar. 

That alone is a massive cultural signal from a franchise often criticized for harboring “53 brands” instead of one unified locker room.

(See "Whataburger and Wine'' for more on the subject.)

Then came the Brock Hoffman moment. When Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star Telegram asked if Hoffman could be a 17-game starter, Schottenheimer cut through the coach-speak and said, “I’d never bet against him… if I’m stuck in a bar, I want him next to me.”

One sentence. Two truths:

 1. Schottenheimer values true, old-school physicality every bit as much as he claims.

 2. He’s investing in players the right way—personally with a undeniable focus geared towards relationships.

For a Cowboys team long defined by flash, this feels a bit gritty and it kind of feels good. A new sense of culture... and at the very least, a step in the right direction.