It appears establishing the culture isn't just for the coaching staff and veterans.
We know how much culture means to Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and we also know that culture is hard to define in football.
It can mean many different things, but in general, it's everyone upholding the same standards, pushing each other to be better while also building and maintaining positive relationships within the organization.
So much has been made of the brotherhood and the family that has been created since Schottenheimer took over, and it appears it has only strengthened this offseason.
While Schottenheimer has been the driving force behind it, the veterans are usually the ones who help push it along.
Quinnen Williams is finding his voice as a leader, according to Schottenheimer, but as Jake Ferguson states, yes, it begins with Schottenheimer, and the younger players have also helped establish the culture.
"It's special, and it starts with Schotty, top down," Ferguson said. "He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk, phenomenal. We got a lot of vets who have been through stuff, who've seen a lot of different places, they have great voices.
"But then also I attribute a lot of that to our young guys. I think [in] today's age, it's hard to find those young guys, they want to be quiet, want to work and earn something. We got a lot of those guys. A lot of those young guys are hungry. A lot of those young guys are, hey, I want to earn the right to speak. I want to earn the right to be a leader. It's special and a lot of these young guys are filling those roles, and it just makes me more excited.”
The rookie class of Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and Jaishawn Barham is the one driving the standards, with all three set to feature heavily for Christian Parker's defense in 2026.
The biggest feather in the cap of all three is that, by all accounts, they are only all about one thing and one thing only, and that's football.
The main thing is finally the main thing in Dallas.
While it is easy to say the culture Schottenheimer is building is in a great space now, in truth, there's been no adversity yet. It's easy to preach a good culture when things are running smoothly.
The true test will be when the Cowboys lose back-to-back games, suffer a form slump, and things aren't working. Then how will the culture hold them in good stead?
But for now, it all appears to be smooth sailing in Oxnard, with the younger players on the roster having just as much influence on the culture in Dallas as the veterans.
