Brian Schottenheimer Rebels Against Major Cowboys Tradition After Revealing Tough Cancer Battle

In the Cowboys’ locker room, rookie hazing usually means one thing: grab a mic and sing in front of the whole team. Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t having it. The Dallas head coach, who’s been through tougher battles than a shaky rendition of Mary Jane, ditched the tradition this year.

Instead, the rookies put on a full show. And according to Schottenheimer, it was a hit. “I was one of the hot topics. They did an incredible job. I’ve probably seen in my career 15-18 rookie shows, and this was one of the best ones,” he said. The highlight? LB Justin Barron’s spot-on Schottenheimer impersonation – backwards visor, two-tone blue shirt, and a reenactment of that post-Rams prayer where he accidentally swore. “There were some curse words in there, so that was good. The (veteran players) loved it,” Schottenheimer said.

The decision to scrap the singing wasn’t just a whim. Schottenheimer, 51, revealed earlier this week that he beat thyroid cancer back in 2002. At 28, coaching under his father Marty with the San Diego Chargers, he was diagnosed during training camp. Surgery at the Mayo Clinic removed his thyroid and 17 lymph nodes. He feared losing his voice – and his career – but made a full recovery.

That experience gives him perspective on what actually matters in camp. “Mine was less serious. I was 28. Nothing like Stage 4, nothing like Jerry and what other people go through,” he said, referencing Jerry Jones’ melanoma battle. “You hear cancer and it scares the hell out of you.”

This is a developing story. Stay tuned.