1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: This is the Miller Lighte Cowboys Hour, supported by Albertson 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: and Omni Hotels and Resource. Brought to you by Miller 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Light the only beer of the Cowboys. It's Miller Tutt, 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: Albertson's and Tom Thumb, the official supermarket and pharmacy of 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys. Choose VA Veterans get the benefits you burned. 6 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Visit choose dot ba dot com and by Geico fifteen 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: minutes could save you fifteen percent er more on car 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: and shirts. Now your hosts, Shannon Gross and Brad Shan 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: and welcome everyone. And there's not a dry eye in 10 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: the house because this is our final Cowboys Hour of 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: the Season's been a hell of a run. Brad, it's 12 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: been great. It's been great. I enjoyed it. Yeah, I 13 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,319 Speaker 1: did too. That's kind of normally the thing you would say, 14 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: like at the end of the show, Oh, my bad, 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: we're just starting right bad my bad. So we were 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: hoping that we were going to have more shows, um, 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: and we're not going to have more shows. We've all 18 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: been through that before, but it still becomes disappointing. And 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: so here we are still in our nearly hermetically sealed 20 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: Cowboys Podcast studio. But what a what a way to 21 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: bring down the curtain on the season. One of the 22 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: one of the most respected men in the NFL happens 23 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: to be the Cowboys Vice president of player What is it, 24 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: what's the Personnel Procurement Development Development? Yeah, whatever, it's Will McClay, 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, Will McClay. So a, Now, we asked 26 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: Will to do this before the game. So this was 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: not a was not a mercy, was not a mercy guesting. 28 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: Uh But but um, look, we all suffered through that 29 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: each in our various ways, and we thank you for 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: I know it's been at a long day after a 31 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: short night for you, and I really appreciate your being 32 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: with us and visiting with everyone. We appreciate all of 33 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: you who have listened throughout the season and are with 34 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 1: us on the Cowboys Radio Network and streaming whenever you're 35 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: streaming it on Dallas Cowboys dot com, and thank you 36 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: for being with us. So, um, yeah, I really don't 37 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: want to put you through a whole a whole more 38 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: rehash of because you've been through that, But I'll ask 39 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: you a couple of things about the about that process. Okay, 40 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: because it's well, no, first, let me back up the truck. 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: Congratulations on your new contract or your extension or whatever 42 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: that was that they did. They thank you. I mean 43 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: it was I got a goal when you're here, Um, 44 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: it's to win, and we want to try and give 45 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: it everything. We got to hoist up that trophy for 46 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: for Jerry, for the Cowboy fans and whatever my part 47 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: is that I can do in that. I want to 48 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: try and be great at that and that's the number 49 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: one goal and keeping my son here and you know 50 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,399 Speaker 1: the important things in life. Well, you've been awful, dad 51 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: gum good at it. And I know because I hear 52 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: from them that Cowboy fans are really happy that you 53 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: are sticking around and doing this for a while. Because 54 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: you're a sought after guy. A lot of people would 55 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: like to have you. Maybe I'll just start with that 56 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: a little bit. As we're going through the interview process, 57 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: we're going to be reading in the coming days about 58 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn interviewing for head coaching jobs. 59 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: We've already been reading about it, and it seemed like, 60 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if they actually gave you an extension 61 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: or just announced that you were agreeing to say, I 62 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: don't know. I don't know what happened, but it kind 63 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: of took all of the conversation of why don't some 64 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: of these teams interview Will McClay for general manager jobs. 65 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: Took it off the burner. Is that kind of what 66 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: you were looking for? That's kind of what you know. 67 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: At the end of the season, we know that these 68 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: things are going to come about, and I'm more in 69 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: the mode of staying here, continuing here and continuing to 70 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: try and do what our job is is to win 71 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: Super Bowl and do my part within that. So as 72 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: it started to come down, I knew some things were 73 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: going to happen. Stephen and Jerry knew as well. We 74 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: talked about it in training camp and kind of went 75 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: through the season, you know, knows to the grindstone. And 76 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: so when the it's got toward the end of the 77 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: season and I had conversation with Stephen and said, let's talk. 78 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: And about the time we started talking, I think a 79 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: couple of flips came in, but we were done by then. Okay, 80 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: flips meaning slips, slips, but people, we'd like to interview it. Yes, okay, good, well, 81 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: thank you for whatever whatever it was you did. Thank 82 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: you on behalf of Cowboy fans for you doing that. Now, 83 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: it's clear that for many years, more than just the 84 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: how it was an eight or nine that you've had 85 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: this title something, but more than that, you've had a 86 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: voice in the room. Clearly the organization trust you and 87 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 1: respe actual your opinion. And so because of that, I 88 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: think every fan imagines, as I do, that when a 89 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: game like that, let alone a season ends, they want 90 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: to know why, and you're one of the people that 91 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: they want to tell them why. Right, So, just what 92 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: was that like? Did you meet with both of them 93 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: after the game last night? Yeah? What was that like? 94 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: It was you know, what we could have done, what 95 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: went wrong? You know, it's discussions about all those things. 96 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: And but to Jerry and Steven's credit, it's they looked 97 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: at the situation. The disappointment was there, but it's right 98 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: back to business and how do we get better? I mean, 99 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: and really that's all you can do, because there's thirty 100 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: one teams that at some point in time we're going 101 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: to go home in the last game and not be 102 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: excited about it. But it's what steps are we taking? 103 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: What are we doing to try and continue to capitalize 104 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: on the momentum that we have from a season and 105 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: where you're you know, twelve and five, but also trying 106 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: to figure out what we can do to get better. 107 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: Everybody who follows the team was hopeful that there would 108 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: be more games. And I think it's also fair to say. 109 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: I hope it's fair to say, because I said it 110 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: on the radio, asked yesterday as we were signing off 111 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: the broadcast, the things that went wrong yesterday were manifestations 112 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: of all of the things we've seen for the last 113 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: two months. There wasn't anything new. There weren't any big surprises. 114 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: There were some things that you hope would go better 115 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: that didn't go better, but the things that went wrong 116 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: weren't new. So in these conversations about what went wrong, 117 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: were they specific to the game, or are you guys 118 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: already talking about you know what. Let's look and my 119 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: suspicion as you've been doing this for a while, but 120 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,559 Speaker 1: you know, we see bad trends here, we see things 121 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: here that we need to correct. We're going to hope 122 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: that we can cover them up with other strengths. But 123 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: we know when we're just it's just us sitting around talking, 124 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: we know what our warts are. Would have those conversations 125 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: been going on and do you agree with that assessment? Yes, 126 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: they've been on going because what you do is if 127 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: you have a problem, you're looking for the root of 128 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: that problem and you're trying to correct that problem. And 129 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: through the course of playing seventeen games and different opponents 130 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: each week, you know, you got to go in number one, 131 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: we got to handle our business and take care of 132 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: the preparation side of it, and then you go out 133 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: and you have to execute that and so um. You know, 134 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: when you don't perform as well as you should have, 135 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: you're gonna look at all those situations and like you said, 136 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: what are the trends? What are you know? Are there 137 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: mistakes being made by who? And you know who? You know, 138 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: how often do they make those mistakes? And what's the 139 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: issue there? And you know, going through all of those 140 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: things is it's it's it's a part of it. I chuckled, 141 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: and you know this because I told it to you. 142 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: When was it New Orleans when Mike missed the game 143 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: and Dan was on the field and so you were 144 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: down there with him, and everybody made a big deal about, Oh, look, 145 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: will mcclay's come down and he's coaching. He was a 146 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: coach before he did any of this other stuff, so 147 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: that you know all about doing that. And so the 148 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: only thing that I want to ask you about that 149 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: has a little bit to do with yesterday, but more 150 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: with the season, is penalties. Because you played the game, 151 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: you've coached the game. You now evaluate players and coaches 152 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: as part of your job. And so I think my 153 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: question is, you know, you know it's everybody's going to 154 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,239 Speaker 1: commit penalties. You don't necessarily have to lead the league. 155 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: What can be done about penalties? And I think you 156 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: have to work on things technique wise, and then you know, 157 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, if there's a character 158 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: that's committing more of those penalties, you have to figure 159 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: out what to do. You have to replace that, you 160 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: have to do something. But you start with trying to 161 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: work with technique. You started looking at, you know, the 162 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: different things to make that player because they're in the 163 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: league for a reason, they have the ability to do it. 164 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: We've seen him do it. On the positive side, it's like, 165 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: what is it? And so you try and just figure 166 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: out what it is. And we had a number of 167 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: penalties and it was from guys trying to do too 168 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: much sometimes. I think sometimes you go through it and 169 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: you look at you go, boy, there's an intense amount 170 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: of immense amount of pressure on and players put it 171 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: on themselves to do the right thing and to not 172 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: be the goat, and sometimes you get caught and you 173 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: are the goat. What talking me through in the fans through? 174 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: You start off so good at the beginning of a year, 175 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: and you've been around for a long time around football, 176 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: and these things happen. There's ebbs and flows in the season, 177 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: and you start off hot and you end cold, or 178 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: you start off cold and you end hot. What contributes 179 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: to I mean, this team started off gamebusters offensively, looks 180 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: like you wouldn't be able to slow them down. And 181 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: coming into the season the defense was the big question. 182 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden that kind of flips. 183 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: Are there reasons or there? And then you end the 184 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: season relatively healthy. You had pretty much everybody on the field, 185 00:09:58,360 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: which is what you want to do towards the end 186 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: of the season, and certain things just didn't click. What 187 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: are those conversations like behind the scenes and what causes 188 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: you know, starts and stalls and all that kind of stuff. 189 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: I mean you you as a team when you have 190 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: you know, you have seventeen games, and you get into 191 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: a rhythm when you start the season a lot of teams, 192 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: you know, everybody's unfamiliar, okay, And so as the season 193 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: goes along, people understand what you're trying to do, what 194 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: you're trying to do to stop them, and what your 195 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: players can do. So as the season evolves, you know 196 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: you're gonna hit those bumps in the road, and it's 197 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: how you overcome those. And you know, it's about um, 198 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: you know, and as you said, I've coached before, it's 199 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: it's it's to me, it's never about coaching being the 200 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: full reason. We all, you know, have a piece. You know, 201 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: I'll have something to do with this, and players have 202 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: to execute and we have to find right you know, 203 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: right ways to use our players and the right schemes. 204 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: And so you go through it and try to find 205 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: out and so there's the ups and downs and the 206 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: ebbs and flows, and you know, at one point in time, 207 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: what it was like four games in a row where 208 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: we had four turnovers defensively and we were going back 209 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: and forth and playing off of each other. And then 210 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: you form an identity as to who your team is, 211 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: who our team is is. We have talented players. We 212 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: have a talented team. We are very inconsistent. We have 213 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: done some you know, we we were inconsistent to h 214 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: not finish what we needed to finish. And that's that's 215 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 1: on all of us, you know. I just that's the 216 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: best way to put it. It's on everybody that's had 217 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 1: their hand in it to try and improve it. The players, 218 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: the coaches, the scouts, everybody. Uh. The the defensive identity 219 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: and the turnovers. Leads me into one of my most 220 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: enjoyable Will McClay lines of conversation. But I think we 221 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: have to take a break first. What a cliffhanger. That's 222 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: that's a tease right there, I think. But now Will's 223 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: know me long enough that he probably knows what's coming. 224 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: But in any case, we will have more with Will 225 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: McClay in just a moment when we come back and Will. 226 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: When it comes time to shop for tailgate favorites, go 227 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,199 Speaker 1: to Albertson's and Tom Thumb. Get ten percent off your 228 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: groceries every Dallas Cowboys game day when you wear your 229 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: Cowboys jersey, Albertson's and Tom Thumb is the official supermarket 230 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 1: and pharmacy of the Dallas Cowboys and the Miller Lake 231 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: Cowboys Hour is also brought to you by Luke Casey, 232 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: the official bootmaker of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Will McClay 233 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: is our guest on our final Cowboys Hour of the season, 234 00:12:30,360 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: and we'll be right back to the Miller Like Cowboys 235 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: Hours supported by Albertsons and Omni Hotels and Resorts. And 236 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: welcome back to the Miller Like Cowboys. How are our 237 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: final program of the season. Sad to say, Brad Sham 238 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: Shannon Gross are very special guest Cowboys Vice President Will McClay, 239 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: and we were just talking before we go into what 240 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: has rapidly become my very favorite Porsche of this program 241 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: you just wait will be play. But before we get 242 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: to that, we were talking about identity, and we were 243 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: talking about and Will you mentioned defense and takeaways and 244 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: and so that I think that there are not enough 245 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: people who know you were a defensive back at Rice. 246 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: And was it just one game that you covered Michael Irvin? 247 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: One game? Yeah, it was only one. How'd you do? 248 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: I thought I did? Okay, it was Rice playing against 249 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: University of Miami. So right, it's all relative whenever, whenever 250 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 1: you started with the organization here when run into Michael, 251 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: did Michael even remember you covering him? Oh? Yeah, I 252 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: mean we talked about it because it was one of 253 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: the hottest games ever in Southwest Conference or you know 254 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: back in the day. Yeah, you know Rice Stadium. It 255 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: was like one hundred and five and the rubber on 256 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: your cleats was melting and they were whipping our button. 257 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: I got kicked out of that game because I got 258 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 1: into a fight with an offensive lineman who blocked me 259 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 1: out of bounds. And they didn't throw the ball very 260 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: much when they when Miami played Rice, So me and 261 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: Mike didn't have too many confrontation, yeah, they But so 262 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: you lost your composure a little. That was defending the 263 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: defending the r on my helmet. Okay, okay, fair enough, 264 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: because it's because there wasn't much success doing it on 265 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: the field, all right, Um, And I just want people 266 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 1: to uh, In fact, I think I'm gonna let Shannon 267 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,400 Speaker 1: go first, and then we're gonna get into a little 268 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: bit about how you got here, and then we'll we'll 269 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: still look forward a little bit. But this is this 270 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: is something Shannon Gross has brought to the Cowboys Hour. 271 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: It has become his baby and my very favorite. Now, 272 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: keep in mind, if this were not in COVID times, 273 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:54,200 Speaker 1: and we would not be sitting in this most beautifully appointed, 274 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: cozy little studio down here in the in the bowels 275 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: of the Star. If the Star effect has bowls, I 276 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: think it's too elegant to have bowls. But nonetheless, when 277 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: we have plexiglass in between us, that we would be 278 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: in front of a live audience, and the Miller Lite 279 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: Cowboy Hour would provide Millerlite to Shannon to the guests 280 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: also if that was requested. But in this segment, m 281 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: I'll let you explain it to him. So this is 282 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: the Miller Lite moment of the show, will Okay? And 283 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: what I do is I pull up your Wikipedia page 284 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 1: and then we fact check it. Okay, So, which, by 285 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: the way, normally I skip around and I highlight things. 286 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: But like, I think our fan base knows who you are, 287 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: and I know they know who you are, and they 288 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: love you, and they they're, like Brad put it earlier, 289 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: they are so happy that you are back with the organization. 290 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: And but I don't know if they really know about 291 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: your past. I didn't know about that story because we've 292 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,200 Speaker 1: because because we have, we have traveled together. We we 293 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: we Yeah, that's why I told the story. Yeah, I 294 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: know of it because I know a lot of people 295 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: don't know it. So I'm not gonna skip around. I'm 296 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,120 Speaker 1: gonna read your full basically your full Wikipedia page, because 297 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: there's some good stuff in here. And by the way, 298 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: here is where the Miller Light part comes in. Whenever 299 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,919 Speaker 1: Wikipedia would make a mistake and you would say to Shannon, no, 300 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: that's not right, I drink, Shannon would have some Miller Light. Okay. 301 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: So now last week he had strawberry soda. What do 302 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: you got in the cup? I have diet mountain dew. 303 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: Diet mountain dew. It'll be that so but it's still 304 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,719 Speaker 1: the Miller Light moment. So I won't be getting drunk, 305 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: but you know, but we'll fact check, so we will 306 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: start it, says Will McClay. Was born October thirteenth. I'll 307 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: skip the year just in case you're sensitive to your age. 308 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: Nineteen sixty six. Okay, they got that right. And your 309 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys. Previously, 310 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: you were a head coach of the Dallas Desperadoes of 311 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: the Arena Football League. How are we doing so far? Correct? Okay, 312 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: all right, that's easy. So it gets a little more 313 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: difficult as we go. Will McClay was born on October thirte, 314 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six in Memphis, Tennessee. But you grew up 315 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: outside of Houston, Texas. You attended Missouri City Junior High 316 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: in Maryon Christian High School. You went on them to 317 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: play football at Rice University, where you earned a bachelor's 318 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: degree in political science. Correct, close enough? Well you do 319 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: you have to think about that? Did spent a long 320 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: time since used anything to do with a Rice education. 321 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: Your football career, it says, took off as a player 322 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: at Rice University, where you started all four years of 323 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: your collegiate career eighty five through eighty eight as a dB. 324 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,199 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty eight, you were picked up by the 325 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: Arena Football League Football Detroit Drive, where you played as 326 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: a wide receiver in dB for four seasons. Your most 327 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,239 Speaker 1: impressive year was your last year in nineteen ninety two, 328 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: when you racked up thirty four tackles in one interception, 329 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: and by the end of your playing career you had 330 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 1: helped the Drive when three Arena League Football titles and 331 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: four appearances. Correct, But I don't know how many people 332 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,439 Speaker 1: listening to us have seen Arena league football. It's not 333 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 1: easy to get interceptions in that. No, it's not. No, 334 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: So I mean I'll say that. I would say, yeah, 335 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 1: you had an interception. Okay. Would you define your playing career? 336 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: Were you a were you a speedy guy? Or were 337 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: you a physical guy? I was a cerebral guy. Really, yeah, 338 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: you really could. I could figure it all out. It's 339 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: like getting there was the issue, having your body catch 340 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: up with you. Oh wait, oh hold on, So now 341 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 1: the job that you do. Now, would you rather have 342 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: a guy who could figure it out but had trouble 343 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: getting there, or a guy who could get there but 344 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: didn't know what to do when he got there? Guy 345 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: who could get there and didn't know what to do 346 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: when he got there, Because that's the job of those 347 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: that are paid to do that is to try and 348 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: figure out what he can do best. As long as 349 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: you do it fast and hard, we will find a 350 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: way to at least look at you. I was I 351 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: was at a I'm going into the way back machine, 352 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: but it's appropriate for this. I was at a dinner 353 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: in Canton, Ohio, a club dinner with Tex Shram and 354 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: a bunch of coaches, and it must have been nineteen 355 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: eighty three and Cowboys were playing in the Hall of 356 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: Fame game, and Shram wanted them to draft Darryl Green, 357 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: and he didn't interfere in that the scouts did it 358 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: and the coaches did it, and he was arguing with 359 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: Erma Allen. You remember Erma Allen. Erma Allen was with 360 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 1: an assistant for Bear Bryant at Kentucky long time and 361 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: finished his career working for Tom Landry. And they may 362 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: or may not have been served in adult beverage somewhere 363 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: along the way. And Shram was still irate months later 364 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 1: that the Cowboys had not drafted Darryl Green, and Erma 365 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: Allen said, he's I'm going to paraphrase, but he said 366 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: he's too small. Used a word that's not socially acceptable 367 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,400 Speaker 1: right now, but he said he's too small and what 368 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: would we where would he play at that size? And 369 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,880 Speaker 1: Shram pounded the desk and he said, that's a coaching problem. 370 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: And that's what you're saying. Give me the guy, give 371 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: me the guy who can get there. Doesn't know what 372 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: to do. Now, it's a coaching problem. Right, that's a 373 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: personnel kind of cover up. Hey, it's coaches problem. No, 374 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: sorry didn't I just that story is one of my favorites. No. Absolutely, 375 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: you jump in here anytime, Brad. This is your show. No, yeah, 376 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 1: but it's your second Okay, it's not my show, it's 377 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 1: our show. After your career as a player, you got 378 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,719 Speaker 1: an opportunity to serve as the Drive, Secondary and Special 379 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,400 Speaker 1: teams coach in nineteen ninety three, and you took two 380 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: separate stints as a defensive coordinator for the Milwaukee Mustangs 381 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: and the Florida Bobcats. You moved into the management side 382 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: of football in ninety seven, where you served as both 383 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,400 Speaker 1: the defensive coordinator and the director of player of Personnel 384 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,639 Speaker 1: for the Anaheim Piranhas, and you took the job as 385 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: an assistant head coach and director of player of Personnel 386 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: or the Grand Rapids Rampage in ninety eight ninety nine. Correct, 387 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: there's a lot of date things. I'm throwing a lot 388 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: of dates in there. Yeah, and it's you're talking nineties late. 389 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: But but you did all of those jobs for all 390 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: those you have any of the gear left. Piranha's rage 391 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,360 Speaker 1: you a little bit, a little bit what my son 392 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: hadn't gone through in his younger days, or um my 393 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: ex wife made rags out of Yeah, and I found 394 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 1: this interesting because I did not know this. I didn't 395 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot of the teams that I 396 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 1: knew you were in the in the Arena League, but 397 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,199 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot of the teams. But it 398 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: says McClay moved on to the XFL, where you became 399 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: the director of player of personnel, consultant and scout for 400 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: the Orlando Rage. Yes, all right, you finally made the 401 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: jump into the NFL's the assistant director or pro scouting 402 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: for the Jacksonville Jaguars in two thousand and one, where 403 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 1: your main job was to scout teams that Jacksonville did 404 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 1: not play that year in attempt to advance scouting information. 405 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 1: Correct whatever that means. Okay, You then moved on to 406 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys player personnel department, only to finally come 407 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: full circle as a decordinator for the Arena League Dallas Desperadoes. 408 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: That's kind of backwards. Yeah, I came here from Jacksonville, 409 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:18,119 Speaker 1: so you would be drinking and day coach. I was 410 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:22,159 Speaker 1: the defensive coordinator for the great Joe Avazono at first. 411 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,119 Speaker 1: And then what I did was I continued scouting because 412 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,439 Speaker 1: the Arena season was in the offseason the NFL, and 413 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: then I would come and I would do pro scouting 414 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 1: for Cowboys. Okay, two thousand and two, you served as 415 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 1: the inaugural defensive coordinator and that's where you would stay 416 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 1: until the beginning of two thousand and four season, where 417 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: you were thrust into the role as head coach just 418 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: days before the season. You would remain head coach for 419 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: the next five seasons, where you accumulated an overall record 420 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: of fifty five twenty eight one and a one in 421 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: three postseason record. You currently worked for the Dallas Cowboys 422 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: as the vice president of player personnel. That is correct, 423 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 1: All right, that's good stuff. And there you go. There's 424 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 1: your Miller Lite moment of the show. I just learned 425 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: a lot about. But there's more. You were coach of 426 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 1: the Year in the Arena League. They don't have that 427 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: in there. How could they not put that in there? 428 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 1: I asked them to take it out. Yeah, I'm gonna 429 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:16,400 Speaker 1: go amend it because you know, anybody can go put 430 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,199 Speaker 1: anything they want to wikipe, So hit here, fix that. 431 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, how did you ever? Did you ever 432 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: see much arena football? I did not a lot. I 433 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 1: didn't keep up with it, but I was around. I'm 434 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: old enough to. I was so lucky that they asked 435 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 1: me to do some of those games. And Will was 436 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: working with Joe Avazano, as he said, and then uh uh, 437 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: then Will became the head coach. And I just don't 438 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: understand how you could be a defensive coordinator in the 439 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: Arena League. Glutton for punishment, you know, how do you 440 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 1: how do you play? Shift to challenges? You had to 441 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: find a way and we were We were pretty good 442 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: at it. Um, you know during the time when I 443 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: was there, because of the players that we had, and 444 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: we tried to come up with a few different things 445 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: to stop that crazy game where you know it's meant 446 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:05,119 Speaker 1: to you're meant to pass the ball sixty times and 447 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 1: throw for five hundred yards and play no defense. But 448 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: we played pretty good defense. Before we take our next break, UM, 449 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:19,239 Speaker 1: tell a Joe Avazono story that we can repeat. The 450 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 1: first game, the first game that we had as a franchise. 451 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: We were playing in Los Angeles, I think it was, 452 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: and Joe's a very dapper, dapper guy and uh so 453 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: after the game. You can't repeat this story. I can 454 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 1: repeat some of it. I was there after the game 455 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: where we're getting dressed in the locker room and Joe's 456 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 1: losing his mind and he had a very vivid use 457 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: of the English language and curse word kind of deal, 458 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: and he's making all this noise and we're going, what 459 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: the hell's going on? And uh, we go in there 460 00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: and Joe's putting on his clothes, but he cut his 461 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 1: finger and so he got blood on his pants and 462 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 1: he lost his mind. And that's when I first because 463 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: coaching with him, you know, i'd heard he had had 464 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 1: a temper, but he was really good with me. But 465 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: when he got blood on his pants, I was like, 466 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 1: I don't want to miss with that. Do you mind 467 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: if I elaborate just a little it may? I have 468 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: your permission? Yes, I think they lost the game. Close game. Yes, 469 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: Joe Avazano is the only man announced the game came 470 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,120 Speaker 1: down in the locker room. Josie only man I ever 471 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,199 Speaker 1: saw that his pants were the last thing he put on. Ye, 472 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: I'm talking about I'm talking about Crisp New starched white shirt, 473 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: neck tie, tied, shoot underwear, shoes and socks. Pants were 474 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: the last things. And I don't really think it was 475 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: the pants. I think that his tie was hanging on 476 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: a hook and he cut his finger and it trying 477 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: to get to his tie and it got not on 478 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: his pants, it on his brand new starched crisp white shirt. 479 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: Blood on the shirt, and he I was in the army. 480 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: He created combination compound curseworths. I had never heard anything 481 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: like that. It was it was beyond funny, it was 482 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: awe inspiring. I'm glad you told that. It inspired me 483 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 1: to learn how to curse me. Yeah. Yeah, but but 484 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: Joe is better than all of us. All right, We'll 485 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: take another quick break and be back with more with 486 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: Will McClay and at the Omnifrisco Hotel. Kick off your 487 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,480 Speaker 1: stay at the official hotel the Dallas Cowboys with style. 488 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: Cool off in the elevated pool, saver upscale comfort food 489 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 1: and neighborhood services, and enjoy all the dining and entertainment 490 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: options of the Star has to offer. Visit omnihotels dot 491 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: com slash Frisco to learn more and turn the next 492 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: home game into a weekend getaway. And the Miller led 493 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: Cowboys Hour is brought to you in part by Papa 494 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: John's Better Ingredients, Better Pizza. Papa John's the official pizza 495 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 1: of the Dallas Cowboys. We'll be right back with Will 496 00:30:10,040 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: mcclaya to the miller like Cowboys Hour supported by Albertsons 497 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: and Omni Hotels and Resorts. Welcome back, Brad Sham, Shannon 498 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,479 Speaker 1: Gross and our special guest, Cowboys player personnel Vice president 499 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:30,719 Speaker 1: Will McClay. We've we have learned a little bit more 500 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: about Will McClay. Thank you, Will for letting us into 501 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: your life. Well, thank you for getting most of it right. 502 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: I would love to hear you talk of for a 503 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: little bit about how um your experiences in the Arena 504 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: League informed your scouting because you didn't really coach in 505 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: the NFL, but how did that inform the your your 506 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: approach to your job with the with an NFL team, 507 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: Football is football. I mean it might be played in 508 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: the box, there might be eight people, there might be eleven, 509 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 1: but it's leverage and angles and you know, it's space 510 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: and time, and so you look at players in arena football, 511 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: we had to find guys to play both ways, and 512 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: so that was a unique thing for me it's like, 513 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,280 Speaker 1: you know, we had gone you know, football had evolved 514 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: to where now it was one, you know, one side 515 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 1: of the ball or the other. Well, with arena football, 516 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 1: part of its draw was that guys had to play 517 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: both ways, so you're looking for certain attributes. So I 518 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:33,239 Speaker 1: had to break down how a defensive lineman would what 519 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: skills it would take to play an offensive lineman, and 520 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 1: so those things, analyzing the movement, analyzing the technique, analyzing 521 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:46,800 Speaker 1: different body types, those sort of things. And then because 522 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,040 Speaker 1: we were trying to win games and arena football it 523 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,439 Speaker 1: was about players. So I spent a lot of time 524 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: talking to personnel people within the league to try and 525 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: find players. And that's when I really got really interested, 526 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 1: more so in the players side of it, because we 527 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: would talk players and we would talk about different things, 528 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: and that kind of formulated. And I spent a lot 529 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:09,879 Speaker 1: of time in the XFL with former Cowboy scout gut 530 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: Arrest his soul to Dick Mansburger, Oh yeah, well taught 531 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 1: me a lot of things about the scouting side of 532 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 1: it too. So, uh, the routes come from the Arena 533 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: Football League and you're trying to find players, all right. 534 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: I got a two part question. Yeah. One first part 535 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: is do you enjoy did you enjoy coaching more or 536 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,360 Speaker 1: the scouting aspect coaching coaching because you're being in it 537 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 1: every day with the players and you're trying to accomplish 538 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: a goal, and you at the end of each week 539 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,280 Speaker 1: you get to see what you you know, the lesson 540 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:45,400 Speaker 1: planning you put out, if they got it, if it worked, 541 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 1: the whole deal, and it's it's the interaction with the 542 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: young guys and and and coming up coming up with 543 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: a plan. As a scout, you write it up, you 544 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: talk about the guys that you you know want or 545 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:57,839 Speaker 1: you think should be there, and then you know if 546 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: you get them, then you know you're done. You know 547 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: you your influence on how they use their abilities as 548 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 1: over with you can say I see the abilities. Now 549 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:08,920 Speaker 1: it's somebody else's job to get it out of them, 550 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: all right. So the second part is you mentioned earlier 551 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 1: you were a cerebral player. And there's a guy on 552 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 1: our team that when we drafted him this year, I 553 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: thought he was just a really physical, good player. And 554 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,479 Speaker 1: I've been fortunate enough to be around him a little 555 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:29,440 Speaker 1: bit and have realized that he's sneaky smart in a 556 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: sponge and that's Michael Parsons. Did you guys know that 557 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: he was going to be as smart as he is 558 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: football wise? And or there's that kind of a surprise 559 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: once you got him in the building, it was well, 560 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: because you try and figure out what they know from 561 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 1: their college, you know, playing days. So we put him 562 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: on the board and talked to him and spent a 563 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 1: lot of time with him, and he knew what he 564 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 1: was doing there. But to be put in all the 565 00:36:56,239 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: different spots and to be able to understand and execute 566 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: all the stuff he's done, we didn't know that that 567 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: was there. We knew the physical ability was there, and 568 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 1: that's the unique part about scouting. We asked people about 569 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 1: players and they tell you and it's all relevant to 570 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: what they're doing. When we get him here, it's a 571 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: whole different ball game. So to see him pick up 572 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,240 Speaker 1: all those things and do those things, that's an added 573 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 1: bonus to be in Superman physically on some of the 574 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 1: things he can do. How let me let me see 575 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:26,799 Speaker 1: if I can ask this in a way that might 576 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 1: get an answer. I was gonna say, if you were, 577 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:37,360 Speaker 1: if you were in absolute charge, I mean a title 578 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 1: is a title, But yeah, how much input is the 579 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:50,280 Speaker 1: right amount of input for coaches to have in selecting players. 580 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:55,359 Speaker 1: Coaches know what they want, They know football players, they 581 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:59,839 Speaker 1: watch football the whole time. Now, coaches at times will 582 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:04,879 Speaker 1: think that they can correct a player, or they can 583 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,879 Speaker 1: fix a player, or they can get something that maybe 584 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: they don't have all the information. I think that's why 585 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: our process, I believe is one of the best, is 586 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: because we involve the coaches, We hear their input, We 587 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 1: involve all the scouts. Jerry and Stephen hear all the information. 588 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: And it's a collective process. Because I don't know everything 589 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 1: about every position and about every player the area. Guys 590 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,160 Speaker 1: going to come and give you information. Then somebody else, 591 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 1: without knowing that information, is going to watch the tape. 592 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: So a collective process help gets us closer to the 593 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: right answer, I think, And I think that's the benefit. 594 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 1: That's the benefit of our process and what we do. 595 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,240 Speaker 1: And that's why I love it being here and doing 596 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,359 Speaker 1: that is because you got you don't have an ego. 597 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:48,640 Speaker 1: As long as you don't have an ego, and you 598 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: admit that when you're right and when you're wrong. And 599 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,280 Speaker 1: that's what I continue to tell guys, because we're betting 600 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 1: on people. So our process. The more collective our processes 601 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,320 Speaker 1: and you filter the information that you need, the better 602 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,040 Speaker 1: will be at what we do. Who's a guy that 603 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,719 Speaker 1: you said, you guys bet on people. Who's a guy 604 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,839 Speaker 1: that you you bet on that No, maybe no one 605 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 1: else saw what you saw it and it hit and 606 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: paid off. Is there anybody that stands out that was like, 607 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: that's my that's my war room story, or my my 608 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: scouting story. I think more of those have come from 609 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: the pro side. You know, when we bring in free agents, 610 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 1: it's trying to figure out what guys fit. I remember, 611 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,400 Speaker 1: you know, when I kind of first started doing this 612 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: stuff with George Selvie, was a guy who came in 613 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,399 Speaker 1: and we did you know, and he performed better than 614 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:39,680 Speaker 1: people expected him, got him off the couch basically, yeah, 615 00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:42,000 Speaker 1: and we had you know, and that not only the 616 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: player his ability, but then going back to coaching, it's 617 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: now we've got this player, Now what can we do 618 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:50,640 Speaker 1: to get the best out of him? And that's the 619 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:53,880 Speaker 1: relationship that um we formulate with the coaches, and I 620 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: think has been beneficial to us is to look at 621 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,440 Speaker 1: guys like that, you know, on the on the college side, 622 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 1: I mean we have free agents that you know, college 623 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:04,839 Speaker 1: free agents that come in and they if they were 624 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: as good as uh, you know, they ended up being, 625 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,920 Speaker 1: we would have drafted him. It's Dak Prescott. D Prescott 626 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 1: was better than you know what we what we draft, 627 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:17,839 Speaker 1: you know where we drafted him at um. Is there 628 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 1: a natural adversarial relationship between coaches and scouts, Yeah, naturally 629 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 1: it is. It's because the one side is always going 630 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: to tell the other side how to do their job 631 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 1: if you don't respect the job that each other does. 632 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 1: And I think that's one thing that we continue to 633 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:42,600 Speaker 1: try and press is Hey, it's easier for me to 634 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,440 Speaker 1: sit on the couch and say oh, or you know, 635 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,319 Speaker 1: open the box, say oh, we should have done that, 636 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 1: or we should have done that, you know, and it's 637 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,359 Speaker 1: easy for a coach to say, well, you know this 638 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 1: player can't do this or that. Well, let's let's let's uh. 639 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: There's a there's a medium in between it, there's a 640 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:01,080 Speaker 1: happy medium. And then you here's stories all the time 641 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: all over the league about one team is heavily who 642 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 1: excuse me, coach invested? One is scout invested in the 643 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:12,479 Speaker 1: side that's not invested is always rolling their eyes look 644 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:14,400 Speaker 1: what they gave me, or look what they're doing with 645 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:16,720 Speaker 1: what I gave them, and that kind of thing. So 646 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: what I'm what I think I'm hearing you say is 647 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:23,880 Speaker 1: that you have quite intentionally worked pretty hard to develop 648 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: a system where there's none of that division and everyone's 649 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:32,200 Speaker 1: working together and everybody trusts everyone as much as is 650 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 1: possible given the nature, as much as possible. We all 651 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 1: have opinions on guys, and you know, everybody's got their 652 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 1: own expert lens, but it's given everybody credit for your 653 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 1: expert lens, and then saying, well what about this? And 654 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:48,640 Speaker 1: I want to be able to see it. If you 655 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,239 Speaker 1: say something about a player for Kylige, we need to 656 00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 1: be able to see it on tape. We need to 657 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:54,040 Speaker 1: be able to talk about it. And now we need 658 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:56,000 Speaker 1: to be able to say how does that fit into 659 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 1: what we do? So it's it's and it's not just 660 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:01,680 Speaker 1: on your hands up when you get him, it's I 661 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 1: want to find out how you want to use them. 662 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 1: I want our scouts to know how we use these 663 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: guys so we can get better at it each time, 664 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:12,799 Speaker 1: because we're betting on people and it's never and how 665 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:17,600 Speaker 1: hard is it to enforce your own rule when you 666 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 1: and I'm not talking about this team. In fact, I 667 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:24,520 Speaker 1: would leave this year's team out of it for personality's sake, 668 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: but just institutionally, how hard is it to observe those boundaries? 669 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: If you see a player being used differently than you 670 00:42:34,239 --> 00:42:38,440 Speaker 1: think everyone agreed on using him, I think you go 671 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,759 Speaker 1: when you call it out. I mean, just like if 672 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:42,640 Speaker 1: we get called out for a mistake, you got to 673 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:44,879 Speaker 1: ask the questions. You got to want Okay, why are 674 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,200 Speaker 1: we using him this way? Because through that conversation, you 675 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:51,239 Speaker 1: foster better learning. Through that conversation, I can find out if, 676 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:54,280 Speaker 1: in my opinion, if you know what you're talking about 677 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:56,360 Speaker 1: or why you know it's it's you got to foster 678 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: those conversations to understand where the other person's coming from 679 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,560 Speaker 1: and how they're going to utilize this player. Okay, one 680 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:04,319 Speaker 1: more break and then we'll be back with a little 681 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:06,640 Speaker 1: more with Will McClay and Will if you want to 682 00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:09,280 Speaker 1: use what the pros use. Jack Black is the official 683 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 1: men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys. Visit get Jack 684 00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 1: Black dot com to date and we'll be back on 685 00:43:14,520 --> 00:46:19,960 Speaker 1: the Cowboys Hour with Will McClay. Wh back to the 686 00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:25,240 Speaker 1: Miller like Cowboys Hours supported by Albertsons and Omni Hotels 687 00:46:25,239 --> 00:46:29,640 Speaker 1: and Resorts. We are back for the final segment of 688 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:34,680 Speaker 1: the season. So sad, it is sad. What do you 689 00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:39,320 Speaker 1: do with your Monday nights drinking little lights? Oh? There 690 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 1: you go, there you go a lot more than I do, 691 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:46,239 Speaker 1: right at the last student seventeen weeks. Yeah, no kidding, Okay, Well, 692 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:49,319 Speaker 1: I'm Brad Sham and that's Shannon Gross, and that is 693 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:53,360 Speaker 1: Will McClay. The Cowboys. They're great, Will great, Will McClay, 694 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:56,279 Speaker 1: And we're talking about all of the all of the 695 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:00,759 Speaker 1: things in the Will's Player Act. Was in World you 696 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:06,680 Speaker 1: touched on what's called in the business pro personnel finding veteran. 697 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,880 Speaker 1: I thought one of the things that was unique about 698 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,879 Speaker 1: this team, I don't remember. You had eight veterans from 699 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:20,720 Speaker 1: defensive players from other teams, all of them made significant contributions, 700 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:24,319 Speaker 1: and all of them, until Brent Urban got hurt, were 701 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:27,000 Speaker 1: in the rotation, every one of them. Yeah, I just 702 00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 1: I don't know when I've ever seen that before. How 703 00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:34,560 Speaker 1: much of that was some coaches knowing a guy and saying, 704 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:36,799 Speaker 1: I think he can help us. How much of it 705 00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:40,960 Speaker 1: was your pro personnel people saying hey, what about this guy. 706 00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:43,799 Speaker 1: There was a combination of the two. The coaches new 707 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:46,960 Speaker 1: like if a coach knows somebody and says they can play, well, 708 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:50,359 Speaker 1: we're still going to do our due diligence to go, hey, 709 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:52,920 Speaker 1: if we disagree, we disagree and show us why. But 710 00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: it goes to Mike and Dan saying what they wanted defensively, 711 00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:01,320 Speaker 1: what we wanted to build, And then when you transition 712 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:03,799 Speaker 1: into a new defense or you know, you gotta have 713 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:06,640 Speaker 1: guys that have played the game, and we had holes 714 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:09,680 Speaker 1: to fill. We were fortunate that players wanted to be 715 00:48:09,719 --> 00:48:12,080 Speaker 1: here at a price that we could afford, and we 716 00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:16,560 Speaker 1: pick the right guys that could perform that task that 717 00:48:16,640 --> 00:48:18,520 Speaker 1: we you know, we hired him to do. The the 718 00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:24,239 Speaker 1: year that you had um which people uh forget because 719 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:26,200 Speaker 1: of what happened yesterday. It was a pretty good year. 720 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:27,920 Speaker 1: It was a pretty good year and it was a 721 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:30,319 Speaker 1: lot of fun to watch. And when when we talked 722 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:33,719 Speaker 1: to the players, they tell us all the time how 723 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:36,120 Speaker 1: much they loved being part of this team because of 724 00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:38,680 Speaker 1: the way they all work together and the coaching staff 725 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: and all of that. Uh, does that have a carryover 726 00:48:41,320 --> 00:48:45,000 Speaker 1: for you when you start looking for veteran free agents 727 00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:48,440 Speaker 1: next year. Yeah, you want to. You gotta know as 728 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:50,640 Speaker 1: much as you can about the players you bring into 729 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:52,399 Speaker 1: the building. Because one of the things that Mike talks 730 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:54,759 Speaker 1: about that's very, very true, and I believe in one 731 00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:58,400 Speaker 1: hundred percent it's the Uh, it's the it's the culture 732 00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:01,520 Speaker 1: of your team, because you're going to go through things 733 00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:04,319 Speaker 1: like you know what happened last night, and you know 734 00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:06,680 Speaker 1: the ups and the downs, and how are people going 735 00:49:06,719 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 1: to react to that and how can you get better? 736 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 1: And the emotional intelligence of people to be able to 737 00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:15,759 Speaker 1: handle this crazy NFL world in league and all the 738 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:18,239 Speaker 1: different challenges and things that come up. You have to 739 00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:20,719 Speaker 1: the locker room has to be right, and it's the 740 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:23,200 Speaker 1: people that you bring into the locker room that's important. 741 00:49:23,719 --> 00:49:26,800 Speaker 1: That that's That was actually a great leading It's almost 742 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:28,960 Speaker 1: like you read my mind, will that's what he does? 743 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:31,239 Speaker 1: Where I was going what he does? I heard from 744 00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:38,160 Speaker 1: short novel if I did. But dense, Uh, that's a 745 00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:40,279 Speaker 1: word I learned on this show. But yeah, yeah, from 746 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:44,160 Speaker 1: Neville Gallimore and Zach Martin. Yeah. Yeah, they're dense guys. Yes, 747 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:47,839 Speaker 1: not dnse dents, not Dunce dents, but you know, thick. 748 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:51,000 Speaker 1: So how I heard from a couple of different people 749 00:49:51,040 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 1: internally that this guys that have been here for thirty years, 750 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 1: that this was the best locker room that they've ever 751 00:49:59,120 --> 00:50:01,759 Speaker 1: seen as far as like guys and work ethic and 752 00:50:01,840 --> 00:50:06,000 Speaker 1: things like that. When you put together a squad like that, 753 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:09,000 Speaker 1: and this is a very talented team and just the 754 00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:12,120 Speaker 1: nature of football, you know a lot of these guys 755 00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:15,160 Speaker 1: are moving on and going to be free agents. How hard? 756 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:19,080 Speaker 1: How hard is that to swallow? Knowing that you had 757 00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:21,399 Speaker 1: that this year and it ended the way that it did, 758 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: and then knowing that next year it's going to be 759 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:26,160 Speaker 1: a totally different you know, you hope the chemistry is there. 760 00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:28,400 Speaker 1: You hope that the guys are good that come back in. 761 00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:31,560 Speaker 1: But that does it make it extra tough knowing that 762 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:34,080 Speaker 1: you had the right guys in here and just couldn't 763 00:50:34,120 --> 00:50:37,399 Speaker 1: get it done. Great question, Shannon, Now, thank you, will. 764 00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:40,439 Speaker 1: It's it's got one. It took me seventeen weeks. It's 765 00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:42,920 Speaker 1: it's a challenge that that that's why we do our 766 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:46,120 Speaker 1: jobs because you know it's going to change, and that's 767 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:49,279 Speaker 1: why it was important for me to stay personally, to 768 00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:52,440 Speaker 1: stay around this organization. And understanding kind of what it 769 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:54,680 Speaker 1: is because you have to put people. You gotta you know, 770 00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:58,400 Speaker 1: you gotta find the pieces and it is a unique challenge. 771 00:50:58,440 --> 00:51:02,839 Speaker 1: Every year is different. Um we have but we didn't 772 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:06,720 Speaker 1: have talented enough guys because we're not where we're supposed 773 00:51:06,719 --> 00:51:08,000 Speaker 1: to be. I'm just going to leave it at that. 774 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:10,520 Speaker 1: That's on me and you know my crew. We got 775 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:12,360 Speaker 1: to get better guys, and we've got to do whatever 776 00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:14,640 Speaker 1: it takes to get over the hump. That's what we're 777 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:21,040 Speaker 1: challenged with doing. But it's yeah, yeah, they answered your questions. Yes, 778 00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:24,120 Speaker 1: it sucks. That's what's really really bad because they're good 779 00:51:24,160 --> 00:51:25,960 Speaker 1: people were I mean again, I go back to this, 780 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:30,279 Speaker 1: it's people and you form relationships with these people and 781 00:51:30,320 --> 00:51:32,400 Speaker 1: you see the things that they go through and you 782 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:35,319 Speaker 1: learn what's important to them and the things that they 783 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:37,399 Speaker 1: go through. I mean, there's a lot of good men 784 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:39,680 Speaker 1: that won't be in our locker room next year and 785 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:43,720 Speaker 1: we've got to replace. And that gets me to the 786 00:51:43,760 --> 00:51:48,080 Speaker 1: most difficult thing that I think is probably on your 787 00:51:48,120 --> 00:51:50,840 Speaker 1: plate and most of it falls to you to begin 788 00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:54,160 Speaker 1: with you and Stephen, because you've got to manage the 789 00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:59,200 Speaker 1: salary cap and you've got a boatload of really good 790 00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:03,360 Speaker 1: players who are out of contract, and that's one of them. 791 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:07,680 Speaker 1: That's and you were just alluding to the fact that 792 00:52:07,719 --> 00:52:10,880 Speaker 1: you you you can't keep them all. And I'm just 793 00:52:10,960 --> 00:52:13,919 Speaker 1: off the top of my head, we're talking about we're 794 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:18,719 Speaker 1: talking about Randy Gregory and Layton Vanderesh and Dorn's Armstrong 795 00:52:18,760 --> 00:52:23,160 Speaker 1: and jay Ron Curse and Carlos Watkins and uh, two 796 00:52:23,200 --> 00:52:27,160 Speaker 1: wide receivers and then you've got other veteran wide receivers, 797 00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:35,080 Speaker 1: four wide receivers. Gallup, yeah, Gallup and Watkins and Wilson Gallop, 798 00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:39,759 Speaker 1: Wilson Brown and there's one more. Okay, Well, I trust you, 799 00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:45,640 Speaker 1: oh Malik, Okay, So there you go. Uh. I mean 800 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 1: you're gonna lose a lot of good players. Uh. And 801 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:54,520 Speaker 1: so how how what happens right now? Do you have 802 00:52:54,600 --> 00:52:57,040 Speaker 1: to first? Well, first of all, do you first have 803 00:52:57,120 --> 00:52:59,480 Speaker 1: to know who the coordinators are going to be before 804 00:52:59,520 --> 00:53:02,279 Speaker 1: you can really delve into who the players are going 805 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:07,000 Speaker 1: to be? Um, I think we understand where we're going organizationally, 806 00:53:07,040 --> 00:53:10,680 Speaker 1: and you want to find good, good players, and so, uh, 807 00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:13,520 Speaker 1: we know who's free agents. We will try and get 808 00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:16,759 Speaker 1: them at a cost or at least entertainment because they 809 00:53:17,080 --> 00:53:18,560 Speaker 1: you know, they don't. They think they're going to make 810 00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:20,359 Speaker 1: a bunch of money, and you know some of them will. 811 00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:23,240 Speaker 1: But we've got to keep trying to build a team 812 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:26,239 Speaker 1: with good players and good people. And then again, if 813 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:29,920 Speaker 1: coaches now can find out what they do best, these 814 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:32,479 Speaker 1: guys are on our roster and we don't. You know, Steve, 815 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:35,640 Speaker 1: Stephen and Todd and Jerry, they do a great job 816 00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:39,040 Speaker 1: of getting contracts to whereas we can afford to pay 817 00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:42,840 Speaker 1: some guys with the That's the NFL nowadays. There's you know, 818 00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:47,040 Speaker 1: ten players on every team. About what's Jerry saying, seventy 819 00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:48,799 Speaker 1: five to eighty percent of the cap, And it's what 820 00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:51,399 Speaker 1: you do with those other guys. You have to draft well, 821 00:53:51,440 --> 00:53:53,879 Speaker 1: you have to develop well, and you got to be lucky, 822 00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:56,239 Speaker 1: and you gotta hit on the right guys. And free agency, 823 00:53:56,560 --> 00:54:00,600 Speaker 1: when you have a guy on your team that's pretty 824 00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:04,239 Speaker 1: long in his career and you're invested in him, and 825 00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:07,120 Speaker 1: you know, maybe there's some injury issues and things like that, 826 00:54:07,640 --> 00:54:11,000 Speaker 1: how do you out of as far as strategy, How 827 00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:13,480 Speaker 1: far in advance of knowing that they may be at 828 00:54:13,480 --> 00:54:15,400 Speaker 1: the end of the road do you start preparing to 829 00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:19,480 Speaker 1: to you know, Plug that feel that hole or or start, 830 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:23,680 Speaker 1: you know, cultivating players to take that position. You monitor 831 00:54:23,680 --> 00:54:25,839 Speaker 1: it year by year. It's you go through it and 832 00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:29,040 Speaker 1: every season as a as a snapshot into who that 833 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:32,720 Speaker 1: player is. And sometimes there's rise and sometimes there's decline, 834 00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:35,160 Speaker 1: and sometimes there's an injury and you know, how hard 835 00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:37,080 Speaker 1: does the guy work to come back from that injury. 836 00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:39,880 Speaker 1: But it's all kind of a mastery or at least 837 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:43,640 Speaker 1: educated guesswork as to when you do it, because some 838 00:54:43,680 --> 00:54:45,200 Speaker 1: of these guys are going to go and make more 839 00:54:45,239 --> 00:54:47,399 Speaker 1: money than you can pay, or you know, there's guys 840 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:49,560 Speaker 1: that are injured now and you have to make a 841 00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:53,120 Speaker 1: decision and they may recover and you know, be stars, 842 00:54:53,160 --> 00:54:56,040 Speaker 1: and you know for another team. So you go through 843 00:54:56,080 --> 00:54:58,959 Speaker 1: it and you try and look at it as a whole, 844 00:54:59,080 --> 00:55:01,600 Speaker 1: the guy's career and everything else, and you kind of 845 00:55:01,800 --> 00:55:05,640 Speaker 1: put it together and you and you take a educated 846 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:07,640 Speaker 1: guess at it and you do what's right for your team. 847 00:55:07,840 --> 00:55:10,120 Speaker 1: Because there's twenty one of them. Is that what you said? 848 00:55:10,160 --> 00:55:14,760 Speaker 1: Twenty one and so many of them were really important contributors. 849 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:18,240 Speaker 1: Is this going to be the hardest year you've experienced 850 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:21,319 Speaker 1: yet in trying to keep the pieces you want to 851 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:23,560 Speaker 1: keep and then replacing them. Yeah, it's gonna be hard 852 00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:25,680 Speaker 1: because you know there's the salary cap and you know 853 00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:28,359 Speaker 1: you have a certain number of picks, and so how 854 00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:30,120 Speaker 1: do you fill out the roster with that? We have 855 00:55:30,160 --> 00:55:32,440 Speaker 1: our work cut out for us. But you know, you 856 00:55:32,480 --> 00:55:34,600 Speaker 1: study it. You look at college free agency, look at 857 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:38,280 Speaker 1: the you know, all those ways that you can acquire players, 858 00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:42,239 Speaker 1: and you find the right ones. So everybody always asked 859 00:55:42,239 --> 00:55:44,239 Speaker 1: me this, and I very rarely ask people in the 860 00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:46,480 Speaker 1: organization this question. I have a feeling my answer is 861 00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:50,040 Speaker 1: a lot different than yours. What is what is it 862 00:55:50,080 --> 00:55:54,200 Speaker 1: like working for the Jones family. It's great for me 863 00:55:54,280 --> 00:55:59,440 Speaker 1: because there's a They foster this family environment, which is 864 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:01,759 Speaker 1: important to me. And you know, with your brothers, and 865 00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:04,439 Speaker 1: you know, with your brothers, you fight and you try 866 00:56:04,520 --> 00:56:07,080 Speaker 1: and find the right way to get along and try 867 00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:09,759 Speaker 1: and get the answers, and so we come together. They're 868 00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:13,839 Speaker 1: they're very loyal people, um um. They believe in you know, 869 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:15,919 Speaker 1: and having that belief a Hall of Fame owner Jerry 870 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:19,319 Speaker 1: Jones has belief in what input I can give him 871 00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:21,680 Speaker 1: and my group can give him to you know, to 872 00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:24,520 Speaker 1: build this organization and to try and win super Bowl. 873 00:56:24,640 --> 00:56:27,160 Speaker 1: So I think the greatest thing about them is that 874 00:56:27,200 --> 00:56:30,359 Speaker 1: they when they believe in you, you have an opportunity 875 00:56:30,360 --> 00:56:33,120 Speaker 1: to grow and and you know, do some good things. 876 00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:36,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for being here. Appreciate your time, Shannon Gross, 877 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:39,080 Speaker 1: Thank you for being man. Thank you for letting me 878 00:56:39,120 --> 00:56:41,600 Speaker 1: be here. This man, what fun. That's great. Let's do 879 00:56:41,640 --> 00:56:44,600 Speaker 1: it again. Let's do it Okay, but but not for 880 00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:48,200 Speaker 1: several months because this for the twenty twenty one season, 881 00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:51,560 Speaker 1: is the Cup. This has been a production of Dallas 882 00:56:51,560 --> 00:56:54,680 Speaker 1: Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.