Former coach says Tyler Booker has trained ‘his whole life to be a Dallas Cowboy’
When Brian Schottenheimer was hired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he made it very clear that he was pursuing high-character individuals to help build his vision of what the team. His first draft pick, offensive lineman Tyler Booker, perfectly fits that idea.
After speaking in his introductory press conference on Friday, the word used to describe Booker that was being floated around was simply “impressive” with how he conducted the session and himself away from the stage.
From leaving his home in New Haven, Conn., to moving to Bradenton, Fla., to play for the renowned IMG Academy when he was just 15 years old, Booker has had to grow up quick. Shortly after a successful career with the Ascenders, he made another long move to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He starred in three seasons with one of the more prestigious programs in the country before being selected in the first round by Dallas last Thursday night.
It’s no surprise that Booker was as impressive as he was speaking to the media for the first time. It was something he had engrained in him from when his mother would do media training with him during high school. From the start of his journey at the IMG Academy, he has been just that. Impressive.
“It’s a unique decision to come live at a boarding school in Florida,” IMG Academy’s Director of Football Kyle Brey said in an interview with the Star-Telegram. “That was a very, very easy conversation for him to come to the academy. He checked all of the boxes. And when he got here, it was everything that we thought it would be.”
Booker began his time in Florida as a defensive line prospect. But after a few weeks of training, Brey and his staff saw how a switch to the other side of the ball would eventually help his long-term success.
“It was interesting to see him be open-minding to adding value to himself for his future long-term,” Brey said. “Nobody wants to go from d-line to o-line, but he was aware that if he wanted to one day play in the NFL, we thought he would add the most value to himself as an offensive lineman.”
Schottenheimer has been very open about the call on team leadership to help galvanize everyone in preparation for the 2025 season. Despite a 7-10 season last year, he has high hopes for what the team can immediately conquer under his tutelage. Adding a leader like Booker into a young offensive line room will only help further that mission in year one under his new head coach.
“His personality lends itself to be up front, to be a leader,” Brey said about Booker. “He’s such an authentic human being to begin with. It allows people to buy into him. He was someone that you were almost spoiled as a coach [to have].”
“You have leaders like that, where you can go, ‘Hey, Tyler. What do you think we should talk to the group about today?’ And he’ll be the one to stand up and address the group. It’s not common to have someone like that.”
The IMG Academy saw four of its former players be selected during the 2025 NFL Draft, just adding to its long history of producing NFL talent. But even with Booker, his journey stands unique among the rest. From being at arguably the most prestigious high school program to arguably the most historic college football program at Alabama to walking into the media and entertainment monster that is the Dallas Cowboys, Booker will have a leg up on anyone else walking onto a big stage for the first time.
“What we try to do is expose them for what the next level is supposed to be like, so when they get there, there isn’t that shock,” Brey said. “They can hit the ground running. Him coming out in his career, he hit the ground running.
“Putting a star on his helmet, putting an “A” on his helmet, putting an IMG Academy logo on his helmet, each step was very similar. Each place are some of the most forward facing programs at each level across the entire globe. He’s more than prepared. He’s been training his whole life to be a Dallas Cowboy.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 3:20 PM.
