WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams headed toward the locker room when Tuesday’s joint practice ended. The Dallas Cowboys stayed on the field to run.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the coaching staff did not add the extra conditioning. The players made the call themselves after completing their first joint practice of training camp.
“That was not my decision,” Schottenheimer said. “That was led by the players. I was over there saying goodbye to a few of the coaches and the guys that I have relationships with, and I was alerted by our strength staff that the guys wanted to run 20s.”
Dallas has finished its training-camp practices with conditioning throughout the summer. The change Tuesday was who made sure it happened.
“I think it shows you that they’ve bought into the fact that conditioning’s gonna make a difference for this football team in the 2026 season,” Schottenheimer continued.
DeMarvion Overshown Brings The Question To Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott said linebacker DeMarvion Overshown approached him after practice. The decision was put to the players.
“D-Mo came up to me and asked me, ‘Coach said it’s on us, do you want to run?'” Prescott said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, if y’all want to run. I didn’t see y’all’s field and what it was doing, but I know we’ve got it in us over here.'”
Dallas had just finished a session Schottenheimer described as “chippy at times” between two competitive teams.
Prescott said the Cowboys treated the conditioning the same way they would after one of their regular practices in Oxnard.
“So it was just like a normal practice, let’s go and get our runs in and get better,” Prescott continued.
Overshown appeared in 6 games last season and started 5. He finished with 28 tackles. He has also taken on a larger communication role in Christian Parker’s defense during camp.
Brian Schottenheimer Has Made Conditioning A Camp Staple
Schottenheimer is entering his second season as Cowboys head coach. Dallas went 7-9-1 last year and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Conditioning has remained part of the daily work throughout this year’s camp in Oxnard, including after padded practices. Tuesday added travel and a different opponent.
The Cowboys left their training-camp facility for Woodland Hills and worked against the Rams on separate offensive and defensive fields. Schottenheimer moved between both while offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and Parker called the situational periods.
Once the football portion ended, Dallas still ran.
The Cowboys return to Oxnard before opening the preseason Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
