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Thought it was some good insight...
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Question: Because of the infusion of youth on the Cowboys this season, has there been a change in power, so to speak, among the leadership in the locker room? Do veterans like Witten and Lee still yield the same kind of influence? Or have the young guys like Dak and Zeke stepped in as leaders?
Scales: There's such a great blending of the old guard and the new guard with this 2016 Cowboys team. Dak is a natural leader and, by the nature of his position as quarterback, he's emerged as a player that everyone gravitates towards. Dak is one of the young guys that have earned the respect of the veterans, not just for their results on the field, but for their serious-minded approach to preparing for games.
As for the veteran leaders, they come in all forms. Guys like Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Dan Bailey don't say much, but they lead by example in their approach, discipline, and by the fact that they're arguably the best in the league at their respective positions. Zack Martin is only a three-year guy and he's pretty quiet, but all you have to do is watch him to learn how things should be done.
Then there are the more demonstrative guys like Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick. Teammates feed off their passion. Sean Lee and Barry Church are captains of the defense, and for good reason. Watch those guys and learn. (By the way, is there anybody playing at a higher level than Sean Lee right now?)
Want to learn how to be a good teammate? Those players know what Romo did and said when he spoke with the media about accepting his role behind Dak.
But overall I would say it's still Jason Witten who is the undisputed leader.
A couple of weeks ago offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was asked if Jason Witten seemed energized by the youthful enthusiasm of the rookies. Linehan said we'd have to ask Witten about that, but then he flipped the narrative and talked about Witten's veteran influence on them.
"There's one guy, if he speaks, everyone just kind of gets quiet and lets him finish," Linehan said of Witten. "And they take it 'no sir, yes sir.' That's Mr. Witten to them. But they love playing with him. And I'm sure Jason would tell you the same thing. He's enjoyed playing with these guys and he respects the way they play, that's for sure."
"He's a pro's pro. He's maybe the most professional athlete I've been around when it comes to doing it all. He does it all right. His behind-the-scenes work with anything he does is second-to-none in my opinion."
Link: http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...uad-one-player-locker-rooms-undisputed-leader
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Question: Because of the infusion of youth on the Cowboys this season, has there been a change in power, so to speak, among the leadership in the locker room? Do veterans like Witten and Lee still yield the same kind of influence? Or have the young guys like Dak and Zeke stepped in as leaders?
Scales: There's such a great blending of the old guard and the new guard with this 2016 Cowboys team. Dak is a natural leader and, by the nature of his position as quarterback, he's emerged as a player that everyone gravitates towards. Dak is one of the young guys that have earned the respect of the veterans, not just for their results on the field, but for their serious-minded approach to preparing for games.
As for the veteran leaders, they come in all forms. Guys like Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Dan Bailey don't say much, but they lead by example in their approach, discipline, and by the fact that they're arguably the best in the league at their respective positions. Zack Martin is only a three-year guy and he's pretty quiet, but all you have to do is watch him to learn how things should be done.
Then there are the more demonstrative guys like Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick. Teammates feed off their passion. Sean Lee and Barry Church are captains of the defense, and for good reason. Watch those guys and learn. (By the way, is there anybody playing at a higher level than Sean Lee right now?)
Want to learn how to be a good teammate? Those players know what Romo did and said when he spoke with the media about accepting his role behind Dak.
But overall I would say it's still Jason Witten who is the undisputed leader.
A couple of weeks ago offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was asked if Jason Witten seemed energized by the youthful enthusiasm of the rookies. Linehan said we'd have to ask Witten about that, but then he flipped the narrative and talked about Witten's veteran influence on them.
"There's one guy, if he speaks, everyone just kind of gets quiet and lets him finish," Linehan said of Witten. "And they take it 'no sir, yes sir.' That's Mr. Witten to them. But they love playing with him. And I'm sure Jason would tell you the same thing. He's enjoyed playing with these guys and he respects the way they play, that's for sure."
"He's a pro's pro. He's maybe the most professional athlete I've been around when it comes to doing it all. He does it all right. His behind-the-scenes work with anything he does is second-to-none in my opinion."
Link: http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...uad-one-player-locker-rooms-undisputed-leader