With the help of old-school rap song, Dallas Cowboys’ new coordinator makes his point
In an effort to overhaul one of the worst defenses in franchise history, the Dallas Cowboys selected eight defensive players in the 2021 NFL Draft, including linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick, and added six defenders in free agency.
The latter number will soon balloon to seven in five days when newly-signed safety Malik Hooker passes his three COVID-19 tests.
When a unit sets a team record for points allowed and gives up the second-most yards and rushing yards ever as the Cowboys did in 2020, drastic change is necessary.
But when you talk to the Cowboys about which move is going to have the biggest impact for that unit, all believe it’s the hiring of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
From team owner Jerry Jones to vice president Stephen Jones to coach Mike McCarthy, all point to Quinn as the primary change agent who will help lift the Cowboys.
Quinn, who had been the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons the past six seasons and a Super Bowl champion coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, welcomes the challenge.
“I love doing hard [expletive] with a group of people,” Quinn said. “I was pumped when Mike offered me the opportunity to come and join him.”
Two practices into training camp, Quinn is drawing raves and currying favor with his young charges by how he is going about communicating his new scheme and teaching the Cowboys how to learn as fast and as clearly as possible.
Quinn, an old-school rap fan, held a note-taking exercise with the defensive players at the start of camp.
He played Run-DMC’s “Sucker MCs” and asked them to write down every word they heard while rapping along with the lyrics as part of an exercise on note taking.
Parsons, 22, was stumped and impressed.
“He played a DMC song,” Parsons said. “It was way before my time. He said it was a song when he was 15. I am seven years away from 15. I had just one sentence. It went way too fast for me.”
And that was the point Quinn was trying to make to his players. He wants them to learn how to take notes and learn the system the best way they know how for themselves.
“Learning is a superpower but note-taking is a big part of that, and you can’t write every word that I say,” Quinn said. “What we did, we had a little competition: ‘I want you to write down every word that you hear.’ They heard the beat and as it started, you saw them frantically go. The winner had like two lines right.”
And my point was that I know the system inside and out and I’m going to talk really fast. So if you think you’re going to sit here and write every word that I’m going to say and you’re going to get it, you’re mistaken.”
So what did Parsons learn?
“You have to take in the key message of what [Quinn] is trying to say,” Parsons said. “Take in what you understand, not everything he is saying.”
A lack of communication and confusion were huge problems for the Cowboys defense in 2021, in addition to some talent deficiencies. They have overhauled the talent on their roster, and with the man who’ll lead them.
“I wanted to be a part of this,” Quinn said. “Having that chance and getting a chance to work with the guys here is absolutely where I want to be and how I want to go after it.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2021 at 5:27 PM.
