Cowboys Move Dak and Micah in Leadership Shift

FRISCO - Jimmy Johnson believed in psychology and leadership and symbolism.

And at least in those particular aspects, not much has changed the Dallas Cowboys locker room.

Upon Johnson’s arrival as the Dallas Cowboys head coach in 1989, one of his first moves was to altered the way his legendary predecessor Tom Landry had structured the Valley Ranch locker room.

Landry’s configuration preference? Each position group’s stalls were bundled together, and separate… Facing inward and facing each other.

Jimmy’s alteration? He opened up the room by having all the lockers on the outside, all facing in, with lots of space in the middle… enough for a bunch of couches for players to lounge around on and visit with one another.

More recently, Dallas head coaches Jason Garrett, Mike McCarthy, and now Brian Schottenheimer have stuck with Jimmy’s alignment.

Once the team moved here to The Star in Frisco, Garrett added a wrinkle: He purposely positioned team leaders’ locker stalls is key spots. That meant veterans like Sean Lee, Tyron Smith and Dez Bryant - who all had lockers right next to the entrances and exits of the room - served as "guardians,'' if you will.

And now "Schotty'' has followed suit with some same-minded shuffling.

So ...

Here's the new setup: "Guarding'' one entrance are C.J. Goodwin and Miles Sanders. "Guarding'' the other doorway are  The sentries at the doorway to the showers are CeeDee Lamb and Bryan Anger.

Oh, and one more thing: Positioned in the very center of the room, overlooking it all, with a space between them (for elbow room and the nosy media) are offensive leader Dak Prescott and defensive leader Micah Parsons.

And no, none of this is coincidental.

Said Schottenheimer: "There's a method to the madness. When the guys went into the team room for the first time, I made them all stand up after they sat down, and I had them move seats. Why? It's a new year ...

"I think when you start a new year, do something different, change something up. It's something that's talked about, thought about ...''

Indeed. Like Jimmy and Garrett and the rest, leadership matters. So does symbolism. So does psychology.

-