For most, the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game is about rivalry. But for the coach on the Dallas sideline, Brian Schottenheimer, it’s a reminder of a debt of gratitude that transcends football, one that began when his legendary father needed it most.

“I hold the Hunt family in high regard. They were so good to us when my dad (Marty) was coaching there. I was there for one year with him,” Brian walked back through his long history in the City of Fountains. “But just even the way they looked after my dad after he was sick, I think that means the world to me.”

Schottenheimer grew up around the Chiefs and recalled his father Marty’s time there. Lamar and Norma Hunt stayed close to his parents, and that kindness stayed with Brian. He also remembered the moment his dad stepped onto the Kansas City sideline for the first time.

“I can remember that stadium, the first game my dad ever coached there in 1988, I think.”

Brian also recalled how different Arrowhead looked back then, mentioning, “There were like 21,000 fans there.”

He also talked about how the organization changed quickly under Marty, saying, “And he turned it around as an organization. And then it became what it is today, which is Arrowhead is packed. And you drive in, and there’s the tailgating.”

Later, Brian reflected on how meaningful those years became. He smiled, thinking about the stint his father had.

“And then, of course, when you have the success that they had, it’s fun for me to look back on that. But incredible people in the organization, and they’re a lot like this organization. It’s family first.”

For Brian, that bond matters just as much as the football. The Chiefs began as the Dallas Texans in 1960, created by Lamar Hunt after the NFL blocked his expansion attempt. The Cowboys arrived soon after, and both teams even shared the Cotton Bowl for a stretch. Eventually, the Texans moved to Kansas City, but the overlap never faded.

And now, with Thanksgiving coming, both fanbases get a reminder that this matchup is bigger than a scheduled date. It is a collision of history, family, and one unforgettable gesture from Lamar Hunt toward Marty Schottenheimer when it mattered most.

Brian Schottenheimer crosses paths with Kansas City once again

As both teams get set for Thursday, the theme of reunion feels impossible to ignore. This matchup includes everything from a former Texas Stadium concession stand worker’s son stepping into the spotlight to echoes from 1960, when Dallas football took a new shape.

The Chiefs later made history in 1989 when they hired Marty Schottenheimer, father of Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, as their seventh head coach. That decision still shapes the family’s bond with Kansas City today.

For ten seasons, Marty led the Chiefs to seven playoff runs and three division titles. Meanwhile, Brian grew through those moments. He played quarterback at nearby Blue Valley High and won a state title in 1991. He then spent 1992 at the University of Kansas before moving on to Florida. Those years connected him even tighter to the city and the team.

After college, he worked under his father in 1998 at Arrowhead Stadium, learning the league from inside the Chiefs’ building. With so many memories tied to the organization, Thursday’s Thanksgiving game brings the Schottenheimer family back to familiar faces and the Hunt family they have long respected.