‘Culture And Connection’ To Fuel Cowboys In Oxnard originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
OXNARD — Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is undertaking the task of running his first training camp … sitting in the big chair here in Oxnard, Calif. … and in watching the team’s first workout on Tuesday, his excitement level for the opportunity is palpable.
He, along with an almost completely new coaching staff, is tasked with getting this current roster — coming off a 7-10 season — to be the best versions of themselves, while also pushing them to the limits in the Oxnard sun.
And that’s not an easy thing to do when you are a new coach coming into an organization that has Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons — all established, key players. But Schottenheimer said he was ready to see how his new coaching staff and his players would go about their business.
“I’m excited about the guys that I get a chance to work with, both the players and the coaches,” Schottenheimer said. “I think you look at the staff, having had a chance to work with the staff all spring, it’s a dynamic staff. These guys know how to teach, they know how to demand.
“They get the best out of their players, but they’ve also learned to connect with their players on a higher level so you can have those real hard conversations and push them to the limits. When the days get hard and the practices get tough, that’s where we need to excel. And I think we’ll do that because of the culture and the connection, not just that we’ve set, but that the players have adopted, and they’re excited about it.”
So who “excelled” and who didn’t on Tuesday? How did “the culture and the connection” play out?
Our Cowboys Notebook spills the beans …
— Micah Parsons was present and was planning to “participate” at some level amid his ongoing contract extension dispute. In the end, though, he essentially sat out, citing back soreness.
“It’s something that I feel is going to hold me back, so I just need to rehab,” he said.
Parsons added a variety of takes on the contract clash over the course of a lengthy post-practice media visit, at one point saying he’s not “frustrated,” at another point saying he is, and eventually offering a bombshell of sorts.
“I want to be here,” he said. “At the end of the day, they sign the checks. Let’s see if they want me to be here … I’m doing this for myself and my teammates. This isn’t for Jerry. …
“If this is the end, this is the end.”
— Rehabbing Trevon Diggs worked on the side (as did DeMarvion Overshown) and then told us that being docked $500,000 for not working out enough at The Star “kind of hurt my feelings. It’s OK, though, hopefully I make it back in incentives.”
Diggs added that he is “very happy” in Dallas.
Here’s pals Micah and Trevon holding court …
— Cool to see Tyler Smith hanging out after the workout with Tyler Booker and going through some footwork stuff.
— Fight! Brevyn Spann-Ford and Donovan Ezeiruaku were in the middle of a dustup that was quickly cleared up.
— Jake Ferguson and Mazi Smith (down to 300 pounds) have both dropped weight to better fit into the new systems. Mazi, by the way, recorded a would-be sack today.
— QB Joe Milton entering the Oxnard field for the first time … and then kneeling in prayer … was a nice moment.
#Cowboys QB takes to this training camp field for the first time … with a prayer. pic.twitter.com/LWolcsFIRC
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) July 22, 2025
— It looked like Javonte Williams was getting first crack at running back working with the 1’s. Neat moment, though, when rookie Phil Mafah zigged and zagged on a long run, the most enthusiastic supporter was another vet, Miles Sanders.
Oh, and rookie Jaydon Blue got some snaps with the second-team group. And as we’ve talked about, KaVontae Turpin also played running back.
— Cowboys end Marshawn Kneeland dropped into coverage and picked off Dak Prescott. It’s the first interception of training camp. … and yes, there will be anti-Dak overreaction. Brace yourself.
— Want eye candy? This offense looks like it’s going to employ it, with pre-snap motion – just as Schotty promised all spring.
— Quote from wide receiver George Pickens on his football personality vs. his real-life persona: “Yeah, I definitely don’t want to go on the field and try to be a princess or anything.”
Okay …
— Overall? It will be an ongoing and interesting watch to see how this new group adjusts to the players at training camp in setting the tone for the next handful of weeks. But this “tone?”
Pretty much upbeat, all the way.
Schottenheimer has all the confidence in the world that his group will be able to get the best out of each and every player in camp, with the culture and personal connection he has preached all offseason taking center stage.
There will be great days, there will be bad ones too, but this version of the Cowboys feels like they are ready for whatever Oxnard throws at them.
And today? Schotty and company come away believing it was a great day … fueled in large part by his own vision coming to life.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.